CBP rolls out facial recognition app for local police to spot illegal immigrants
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has rolled out a new app that can be used by local police officers to scan one’s face as part of immigration enforcement.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has rolled out a new app that can be used by local police officers to scan one’s face as part of immigration enforcement.
According to 404 Media, the app, called Mobile Identify, is available on the Google Play Store and is meant specifically for law enforcement working with ICE on immigration enforcement.
The app is dubbed the 287 TFM app on the Google Play Store. It’s described as an app “designed to support local law enforcement officers in their duties under a specific federal partnership,” which facilitates functions authorized by Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
This provision permits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to authorize state and local law enforcement agencies to take over certain immigration enforcement functions.
“Through a formal agreement, or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), with DHS, participating agencies like your Sheriff's Department can have designated officers who are trained, certified, and authorized to perform certain immigration enforcement functions, helping to identify and process individuals who may be in the country unlawfully,” the app’s description says.
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404 Media learned from a source familiar with the matter that the app doesn’t return names after a face search, but rather offers a reference number and tells users to contact ICE.
Based on the screenshots available on the Google Play Store, the app requires users to sign in and allow camera access to use it. Users can also log in using their authorized Login.gov account.
It’s not yet clear what data the app uses to process the faces and compare them to. Currently, it has 50+ downloads.
The app seems similar to ICE’s existing Mobile Fortify app, which can match a person’s face to their personal records, such as name, date of birth, alien number, and immigration status. Reportedly, captured photos are stored for 15 years, even if the subject is a US citizen.
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According to 404, members of the 287(g) Task Force Model (TFM) may carry out certain immigration enforcement functions while performing their regular police work. There are 555 agencies in 34 states that participate in the program.
The program has been previously criticized following a string of anti-immigrant statements made by sheriffs who had a record of civil rights violations.
Facial recognition has long been criticized by those who fear the potential consequences of the use of such a technology. The Trump administration has been focused on deporting millions of migrants without legal status in a move which, critics say, could hurt vulnerable communities. Social media surveillance, AI, and facial recognition technologies have been heavily used to advance that goal.