ICE nabs $25M iris-scanning deal

// 1h agoPOLICY REGULATION

ICE nabs $25M iris-scanning deal

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has finalized a $25.1 million no-bid contract with Bi2 Technologies for its I.R.I.S. iris-scanning technology. The deal significantly expands federal surveillance capabilities, providing Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents with nationwide access to a private biometric database containing over 5 million booking records for approximately 1.5 million individuals.

// ANALYSIS

This massive expansion of biometric surveillance marks a shift toward "hands-free" enforcement that circumvents traditional oversight.

–The contract includes 1,570 mobile units (MORIS) for field-based identification, potentially integrated with smart glasses for covert scanning.
–Access to Bi2’s private database of 5 million records connects local jail data directly to federal immigration enforcement "dragnets."
–The "no-bid" award lacks FedRAMP security certification and congressional notification, raising significant privacy and security concerns.
–Lawmakers are already questioning the constitutionality of using these tools for broad civil immigration enforcement without established legal limits.

// TAGS

i-r-i-sbiometricsiris-scanningicesurveillancebi2-technologiesregulationsecurity

DISCOVERED

1h ago

2026-05-24

PUBLISHED

9h ago

2026-05-23

RELEVANCE

7/ 10

AUTHOR

cdrnsf

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