ICE purchased Paragon spyware, acting director told lawmakers | Ukraine news - #Mezha

Lawmakers received confirmation that ICE used Paragon’s surveillance tools in criminal probes, raising fresh questions oversight and the privacy risks faced by journalists and migrants.

As highlighted by Techcrunch

According to TechCrunch, the acting director of ICE told lawmakers that the agency had purchased and used spyware from Paragon Solutions in drug-trafficking cases. Sources say that a letter of confirmation was seen by three congressmen.

In a letter to three congressmen, Lyons assured that the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division should deploy “cutting-edge technological tools” to counter “the active use of encrypted communication platforms by foreign terrorist organizations.”

“I approved the use of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Criminal Investigations Division to employ “cutting-edge technological tools” to counter “the active use of encrypted communication platforms by foreign terrorist organizations.”

The inability of law enforcement to access data protected by encryption is often used as an argument in favor of computer and mobile surveillance in serious crimes cases, as such tools can directly obtain information from a suspect’s device. Human rights advocates and critics point to a growing list of journalists, politicians, and public figures whose phones could be under government control due to the use of commercial spyware.

The letter stressed that the use of ICE spyware “would meet constitutional requirements,” and that Lyons confirmed that the operational use of a specific tool by HSI would not create significant risks to security or counterintelligence, nor significant risks of misuse by a foreign government or foreign national.

In 2024, ICE signed a contract with Paragon Solutions, the developer of the spyware. The Biden administration paused the deal to review compliance with an order restricting the use of spyware by American agencies abroad or where it could infringe on human rights.

In September 2025, the hold was lifted and the contract was resumed. At the same time, it had not been clearly communicated earlier whether the agency planned to use Paragon’s spyware.

Paragon found itself at the center of scrutiny in Italy: journalists and activists advocating for migrants became targets of Graphite – Paragon’s spyware uncovered last year. In response, the company restricted access by Italian authorities to its intelligence tools.

“The most vulnerable groups, including immigrants, Black and Brown communities, journalists, organizers, and anyone who speaks out against government abuses, deserve more than secrecy and obfuscation from an agency with a long history of overreach and abuses.”

The reaction remains mixed: representatives from Paragon and ICE did not respond to requests for on the use of the spyware. Lawmakers and human rights advocates emphasize the need for transparency and strengthened safeguards to protect citizens’ rights in the context of using such technologies.

In short, the topic highlights the complexity of modern surveillance technologies and the need for clear norms governing their use domestically. The discussion balancing crime-fighting with privacy and constitutional rights continues among lawmakers, regulators, and the public.