ICE reliance on Microsoft technology surged amid immigration crackdown, documents show

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Tue 17 Feb 2026 13.06 EST
Last modified on Tue 17 Feb 2026 13.17 EST


Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deepened its reliance on Microsoft’s cloud technology last year as the agency ramped up arrest and deportation operations, leaked documents reveal. ICE more than tripled the amount of data it stored in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in the six months leading up to January 2026, a period in which the agency’s budget swelled and its workforce rapidly expanded, according to the files.

ICE appears to be using a range of Microsoft’s productivity tools, as well as AI-driven products, to search and analyse the data it holds in Azure. Files suggest some of the agency’s own tools and systems may also be running on Microsoft servers. The documents – obtained by the Guardian and its partners +972 Magazine and Local Call – raise questions about whether Microsoft technology is facilitating an immigration crackdown by an agency accused of conducting unlawful operations and using excessive force on a large scale.

ICE enforcement operations have surged over the past year as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. The agency is now at the centre of a battle in Congress over its funding, sparked by the deaths of two people in Minneapolis, that has led to a partial shutdown of the US government. In July, ICE received a $75bn budget increase, making it the highest-funded US law enforcement body.

With this unprecedented increase in funds, the agency has embarked on a spending spree on technology, awarding contracts to large firms such as Palantir alongside lesser-known providers. ICE, which has been likened to a domestic surveillance agency, enjoys access to vast troves of data on people living in the US. It has a growing arsenal of surveillance technology, including facial recognition apps, phone location databases, drones and invasive spyware.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/17/ice-microsoft-technology-immigration-crackdown

[erronis]

1. Crooks like dealing with crooks. At least you know they're out to rip you off.

Applies to the trump regime and to microsoft and many other of the tech-bro firms.

Given microsoft's recent abysmal record on securing data, I expect that we'll soon see some massive leaks. Of course, China and Russia are already deep inside.

[Wonder Why]

2. The blue screen of death is back!