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ICE Uses Facebook Data To Find and Track Immigrants, Internal Emails Show (theintercept.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the tools-of-the-trade dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Intercept: ICE, the federal agency tasked with Trump's program of mass deportation, uses backend Facebook data to locate and track immigrants that it is working to round up, according to a string of emails and documents obtained by The Intercept through a public records request. The hunt for one particular immigrant in New Mexico provides a rare window into how ICE agents use social media and powerful data analytics tools to find suspects. In February and March of 2017, several ICE agents were in communication with a detective from Las Cruces, New Mexico, to find information about a particular person. They were ultimately able to obtain backend Facebook data revealing a log of when the account was accessed and the IP addresses corresponding to each login. Lea Whitis, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of ICE, emailed the team a "Facebook Business Record" revealing the suspect's phone number and the locations of each login into his account during a date range. Law enforcement agents routinely use bank, telephone, and internet records for investigations, but the extent to which ICE uses social media is not well known.

52 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Is this a surprise to anyone? by waspleg · · Score: 2, Informative

    It has billions of users. Of course law enforcement is going to use it.

    1. Re:Is this a surprise to anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      i would probably google using the facebook.com tag specification. i mean google probably has better records on facebook than facebook.

    2. Re:Is this a surprise to anyone? by datavirtue · · Score: 1

      Agreed. This list could on forever. Did everyone have their fucking head under a rock this whole time? What did they think Facebook was doing and did they not know the only barrier to getting your hands on the comings and going of nearly every human being was a small bit of money? Jesus. Living in this world and paying attention only leaves you frustrated as the rest of humanity catches up in only the most inane ways.

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
    3. Re:Is this a surprise to anyone? by shubus · · Score: 1

      Yes billions of users. I am so glad not be one of them. #DeleteFacebook.

  2. Law enforcement tracks law breakers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Federal immigration officials enforce federal immigration law."

    This only seems to be a"controversy" because it hurts Democrat electoral chances...

    1. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by bobbied · · Score: 1

      "Federal immigration officials enforce federal immigration law."

      This only seems to be a"controversy" because it hurts Democrat electoral chances...

      Actually.. It is only an issue because it HELPS the democrats in their campaigns... That and the demographic most represented by illegals tends to vote democratic. So democrats get votes from today's voters from that demographic and if amnesty is given again they will have a huge influx of new voters from the same demographic.

      You can bet that if the demographic was more likely to help republicans this wouldn't be a controversy unless amnesty was being discussed.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    2. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by tsqr · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes that's correct, compassion for people who committed a minor civil violation in order to come here and help their families.

      Well, that depends upon how they "come here".

      The civil violation is "unlawful presence", and can come about a number of ways, such as illegal entry or overstaying a visa.

      Illegal entry, aka, border jumping, is most definitely a criminal -- not civil -- offense that carries a penalty of not more than 6 months in prison, and a fine of up to $250.

      There should be a -1 Uniformed Partisanship moderation.

      I agree with you on that one.

    3. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by bobbied · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes that's correct, compassion for people who committed a minor civil violation in order to come here and help their families is purely a political issue and ther's no moral authority behind it. And it was entirely invented by the Democrats. It's not that it used to be a bi-partisan issue supported by presidents from both parties and then Republicans threw immigrants under the bus in order to appeal to the more extreme part of their base. [/sarcasm]

      Well now, hit a nerve have I?

      Why do you somehow think your side in this debate is the ONLY one with compassion for these people? Your assumption is wrong and shows your political bias and an active unwillingness to actually SOLVE the problem. You don't want a solution, you want the election issue to campaign on.

      I think if you where to really discuss this with the opposing party, you'd find them wiling to deal with this issue in a fair and compassionate way. However, you have pretty much cut off all possible avenues of discussion with your "Only we have Moral high ground" perspective that precludes any solution except yours from consideration. This has all the hallmarks of a demagogue worthy campaign issue which has more value to you unsolved. You don't want to solve this, you want to run on it.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    4. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Illegals should not be voting in the USA.
      Voting is for people who can legally vote.
      Would anyone who got to the USA legally really want to see their tax money supporting vast illegal communities all over the USA?

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    5. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      And it's not like we have a decent immigration law on the books already that congress refused to fund.

      Republicans are cutting off their noses to spite their face. Business needs cheap labour in order to make gobs of money.

      Immigrants (legal or no) are a positive net income for America.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    6. Re: Law enforcement tracks law breakers by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      they meant Jail, and AFAIK Jails are still all state/city ran.

    7. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by bobbied · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yep, I can...

      FIRST - Stop as much illegal immigration and encourage illegals to self deport by doing the following things:

      1. Implement E-Verify nation wide and require it be followed by all employers. Follow up that requirement with strict enforcement. If you are not a citizen and don't have a work visa, you don't work here.

      2. Visa exit tracking - Implement tracking of visa entries AND exits so we know who's here that have overstayed their visas. Step up enforcement of visa overstays.

      3. Deport Criminals - Start deporting illegal immigrants who commit felonies after they are done with their prison time.

      4. No access Social Services - Eliminate ALL social services for illegal immigrants including welfare, public education systems (including college).

      5. Build the wall - Maybe not a physical wall, but a practical one. Protect our borders.

      6. End "born here" citizenship for children of illegals. Make it necessary for at least one parent to be here legally before we confer US citizenship on a child.

      SECOND - After the above are in place and starting to work....

      1. Implement/Expand a "guest worker" visa program which allows foreign nationals to serve in seasonal labor. Make it easy to get such a visa, but make it necessary to apply for and receive it in your home country.

      2. For those with existing DACA exemptions, citizenship is available after an extended wait of at least a decade if they stay here. If they wish, they will be given preferential treatment for guest worker permits. However, if they self deport, they will be able to immediately apply for citizenship and a guest worker permit with preferential treatment (the front of the line).

      3. Open a path to citizenship for LEGAL immigrants based on merit. Preference given to immigrants with H1b's then seasonal work permits followed by other immigrants who apply. But, we need to end the visa lottery and chain migration beyond immediate family (To include parents, children and siblings only).

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    8. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

      What is the difference between Illegal and criminal? Is an illegal automatically a criminal? And then a criminal who is illegal, does he lose his illegal status?

      --
      Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
    9. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by bobbied · · Score: 1

      This will take TWO bills.... The first has to work before the second can be done.

      Feel free to offer them yourself too.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    10. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by ImprovOmega · · Score: 1

      Number 1 and 2 make sense and could reasonably be done.

      Number 3 we already do, number 4 would require the Supreme Court overturning its precedent and/or a constitutional amendment (for the school part). Immigrants already do not qualify for most social services such as welfare, in-state tuition, cash aid, housing subsidies, medical (state or federal) etc. They do typically qualify for SNAP (food stamps, for maybe a couple hundred a month) and emergency room visits. This is largely because ERs CANNOT stop and ask for citizenship and/or insurance information when life and death are on the line, for reasons which should be obvious. Food stamps is just a humanitarian thing. People should not starve in this country.

      Number 5 seems to be in progress with this administration. Number 6 though...that's not just a Supreme Court case, that's an absolute requirement for a constitutional amendment. The language of the 14th amendment is abundantly clear and really not open to much interpretation. Born in U.S. or U.S. Territory = U.S. citizen. They did not leave exemptions for people born of non-citizen parents and you can't legislate that away.

    11. Re:Law enforcement tracks law breakers by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Hmmm... I did some investigation on this...

      The 14th amendment has been interpreted as 'birth right citizenship" for the most part but this is not universally agreed too. There is one test case for LEGAL immigrants, which confers citizenship to their children born here and that I fully accept as fine. There has been no interpretation for ILLEGAL immigrant's children born here. I suggest we test that in the courts by passing a law that says only persons who are children of parents who are LEGALLY here are given citizenship and let the courts sort out if the 14th amendment really says that. I think it's conceivable that the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" means LEGALLY residing within the USA.

      Also, I knew #4 would require a Supreme Court decision for public schools though High School. However, College level education would not. Some states already treat illegals as non-residents for tuition and admission purposes.

      Finally, ER visits are not PUBLIC assistance but a cost of doing business as an ER. If you are an ER, you accept everyone who enters the front door, provide any emergency medical care required, regardless of who they are. What I'm saying is NO public assistance from taxpayer funds for illegal immigrants. If you present yourself to the welfare office looking for assistance, but fail the E-Verify check, you get no public assistance beyond conveyance to their country of origin (so you can ask to be deported ONCE and we will send you home). Private charities or organizations are allowed to help, but must clearly use private funding sources to do so.

      But you understand that this is designed to get illegals to self deport by making it hard for them to work and live here. My hope is that if they cannot work and support themselves as illegals, they will go home, get temporary work permits and come back legally, at which point, I'm fine with them being here.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  3. wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Someone really has it in for facebook

    1. Re:wow by BlueStrat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sort of like how the Israelis "had it in" for people who worked as staff at concentration camps ?

      None of the people in media and government had any real problem with what FB did while Democrats used FB data the same exact way until it came out that the Trump campaign might have benefited from FB data.

      Now, suddenly, it's torches, pitchforks, and Nazi references.

      The hypocrisy would be hilariously funny if it was not so frighteningly fascist.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    2. Re:wow by knorthern+knight · · Score: 2

      > The media and government might well have had a problem if the
      > Democrats had done the same thing. But they didn't, so they didn't.

      Carol Davidsen, Obama's digital campaign manager for 2012 disagrees with you. She spoke about this at a TED TALK in 2015. The interesting part begins at 19 minutes into the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      In her own words...
      ===
      but we were actually able to ingest the entire social network, social network of the US that's on Facebook, which is most people. Where this gets complicated is... that freaked Facebook out... right? So they cut off the feature. Well the Republicans never built an app to do that. So the data is out there. You can't take it back... right? The Democrats have this information, so when they look at a voter file ansd someone comes to them, they can immediately be like "Oh, here are all the other people they know. And here are people they can help us persuade, because they're really good friends with this person".

      The Republicans do not have that information and will not get that information... right? I'm a democrat, so maybe I could argue that's a great thing. But really, it's not, in the overall process...right? Like that wasn't thought all the way through and now there's a disadvantage of information that to me seems unfair. But I'm not Facebook, so this is the reality.
      ===

      --

      I'm not repeating myself
      I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
    3. Re: wow by Type44Q · · Score: 1
      And Ollie North never saw jail.

      Things are more complicated than you perceive them.

  4. Any means possible by nwaack · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Good. They should use any means possible to find these law breakers. Why the hell should we have to put up with this rampant illegal immigration? Canada has even stricter immigration laws but no one says boo about that.

    1. Re:Any means possible by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 1

      But Justin Trudeau is so dreamy...[girlish giggle]...

    2. Re: Any means possible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That dude has had more cock in his ass than Stormy Daniels

    3. Re:Any means possible by edtice1559 · · Score: 2

      And Australia even more strict that that. More to the point, though, using Facebook for "round ups" is something we could probably debate. But when ICE is looking for a *particular* person, it's almost always the case that said individual has committed some sort of crime above and beyond any immigration status issue. At that point, they're just another fugitive.

    4. Re:Any means possible by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      More to the point, though, using Facebook for "round ups" is something we could probably debate.

      If they had actually used Facebook, we should. They didn't, any more than they used "social media". They got logs from a computer service, which could have been the web, or twitter, or ftp, SMTP, IMAP, or anything else. The fact that it was Facebook is irrelevant to the discussion.

      "Used social media" means they actually did something ON Facebook, like looked at friend's lists or timeline postings or such stuff. "Using twitter" means they look at the content and get information from that. They didn't do that. This isn't "using social media" at all.

    5. Re:Any means possible by jwhyche · · Score: 2, Troll

      Yup, labeled a troll. Typical way SJW, aka snowflakes, deal with speech they don't agree with. They would rather silence you than debate you on the merits of their beliefs.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    6. Re:Any means possible by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Damn, I love it when they prove my point for me.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  5. If you visit my website by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 1

    I can also track down where you're sitting because IP address shows up in the server log each and every time you visit my site, regardless of whether you log on or not. That's how the internet works. Doesn't matter if you're using SSL or plain old HTTP. If you're not going over a proxy, I know where you are. And if you are using a proxy...you better hope it's trustworthy. Tor sort of works too, but nothing is fool-proof when you've got a fucking wire going to your house that you pay for under your own name or a phone issued to you by the guys who run the cell towers that you pay under your own name.

    Same deal for AC's posting on slashdot. Same deal with me: obviously 'RightwingNutjob' isn't my real name but if someone wanted to, they could figure out where I am and make a pretty good guess at who I am. That's why I don't post shit I wouldn't want my mother to see on here, or anywhere.

    1. Re: If you visit my website by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 1

      I never said it's foolproof for the one doing the tracking. I did say that you're a fool if you think you can stay perfectly anonymous by spitting bits down a wire you pay for under your own name.

    2. Re: If you visit my website by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 1

      Is that what you did right there, AC? Or are you sitting in a nice comfy chair in the living room of a house with your name on the deed?

    3. Re: If you visit my website by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      AC don't forget to always change the MAC address too.
      Everything is collected under public/private partnerships from most coffee houses.
      Their CCTV goes to the state and federal police via "contractors" who support all the networked CCTV in the area for the city/state.
      Facial recognition fills in the rest.
      The public private partnership allows a cafe to say the police are not looking.
      The police can also say they are not looking.
      By using private collection the police get every face and voice print. The cafe gets to help reduce local crime.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re: If you visit my website by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      AC recall the US Domain Awareness System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  6. ICE = WMD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Weapon of Mass Deportation.
    This country has THRIVED on immigrants. Treating them like gabage because of a few bad actors is bullshit.

    1. Re:ICE = WMD by Z80a · · Score: 2

      Legal immigrants.

  7. We continue to treat immigrants well by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Most people support immigrants anywhere I've been in the U.S.

    Just as most people I've seen do not support ILLEGAL ALIENS. They are not immigrants; they are criminals, who have screwed over REAL immigrants that have been trying to come here legally but we don't allow very many because we already have so many people here illegally.

    Why should criminals be treated with any respect whatsoever? They are taking the place of immigrants.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by AHuxley · · Score: 2

      Entering a nation without been allowed to enter that nation is illegal.
      Normal people have documents and line up outside an embassy.
      They enter anther nation legal and work, study.
      Normal people ask another nation if they can move in and stay.
      Nations then look over that persons documents and grant that request.
      The person is then legal in another nation.
      Just wondering in and taking gov support services, jobs, using fake documents, using education, health care is illegal.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by Obfuscant · · Score: 2

      Immigration violations are mostly civil offenses.

      You are wrong. 8 U.S. Code Section 1325 "Improper entry by alien" makes it a criminal offense. Where did you get the idea that it wasn't a crime?

    3. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by dwillden · · Score: 1

      Of course the laws changed. We no longer have an empty (sorry natives) Continent to fill. Open borders is no longer in our interest. We are not opposed to new immigrants. They are welcomed with open arms. If they come here legally.

      Why can you not separate the fact the immigrant and illegal immigrant are two completely different things. Immigrants are welcomed. Illegals are not. Follow the rules needed now that we don't have vast stretches of untamed wilderness to settle, and you will be welcomed.

      Jump the border or overstay your visa and it's another matter entirely.

      --
      I'm too lazy to compose a creative sig.
    4. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Immigration has become a lot like the war on drugs. Rather than fight it so hard, it would be better to offer more legal options and provide more support for immigrants and communities with a lot of immigration.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by nagora · · Score: 1

      It is, of course, more complex than that. I don't know about the US but in the Africa->Europe flow many of the the immigrants have been lied to by the trafficers. So, Sipo starts off in a shithole country south of the Sahara with no prospects except that at least he'll die young. Pavel turns up in the village, or one of his agents does, and says that he can arrange for Sipo to get a legal work permit for the EU. There's even a promise of some work. Sipo is dubious but Pavel's guy has testimonies and sample documents and all the rest of it.

      Of course, it's expensive but for roughly the whole of Sipo's savings +30%, Pavel's team will sort it all out and the final details will be handled at Tripoli before boarding the boat when Sipo hands over the extra 30%. He'll have a few months to scrounge around his relatives and friends to raise the extra cash, but he'll be able to pay them back once he starts his new job.

      Sipo arrives in Tripoli and is lucky - the slave market is closed today. So he gets to go down to the dock were he sees the boat for the first time. It is built for 12, and is "booked" for 40. Sipo says that he's changed his mind and instead of paying the rest of the cash he wants his original money back so he can go home.

      That's when the guns appear. Pavel informs Sipo that this is a binding contract, to shut the fuck up, hand over the money and get in the goddamned boat.

      Sipo gets in the boat.

      But Sipo is a very lucky guy and the boat makes it almost the whole way across the Mediterranean and sinks within sight of shore, so he manages to make it to land. There he meets another of Pavel's agents who tells him where the van is to take Sipo to his new job.

      The job is not legal and at the end of the first day, Sipo is informed that he is now a criminal for engaging in work without a permit. When Sipo says that he paid for a permit, the overseer laughs and asks to see the receipt. Even if he ever had one, it probably went down with the boat.

      Being a criminal means that, according to the gang master, Sipo can't go to the police. Also, he owes the gang for his share of the boat he lost, which turns out to be a very very expensive boat indeed. Sipo is very unhappy about this. That's when the guns appear again.

      Sipo goes back to the illegally overcrowded house that he and the other survivors are going to share and wonders how long it will be before he can see his family again.

      ---

      This isn't at all unusual a story and technically, Sipo maybe is a criminal or at least doing something criminal. But he never intended to do anything illegal. Some immigrants *do* certainly know they'r breaking the law but a lot more are really victims of blackmail of one kind or another.

      --
      "Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
    6. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by fred911 · · Score: 1

      Wrong. If they work, they're felons. If they entered without permission, they're felons. If they let their visa expire and did nothing about it, felons.

      Even if they're just trying to survive.

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    7. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Not all illegal immigrants entered the country illegally. Visa overstay is not a criminal offense.

      By definition, illegal immigrants are here illegally. Yes, VISA overstay is a criminal offense. I provided a link to the section of the law. You should ready it before leaping to the defense of illegal aliens. (Hint: "obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact".)

      There's nothing wrong with deporting illegals, but blaming this nations problem on them

      I don't see where I ascribed blame for problems to anyone. I pointed out that the claim that it was a civil offense was patent stupidity.

      Let's not forget that Reagan gave amnesty to illegal immigrants

      Yeah, he wasn't perfect. Not my fault.

    8. Re:We continue to treat immigrants well by reboot246 · · Score: 1

      It's also illegal to hire them, harbor them, and in any way aid their illegal entry. But the Dims keep trying anyway.

  8. Re:Slashdot by tsqr · · Score: 2

    Putin didn't try to 'steal' the election, it was instead Cambridge Analytica, with the help of *Facebook*, that offered to do it for a price, and of course Trump and his team accepted.

    Yeah, during the primaries. You know, that period of time when what's-her-name was busy stealing her party's nomination from that crazy old coot the young kids were so in love with.

  9. Appears to be legal by VikingNation · · Score: 1

    The article discusses that the government agency in question obtains legal approval and that is provided to the company to obtain information. It would appear legal requirements are met.

  10. If only the Nazis had Facebook by lucasnate1 · · Score: 1

    Facebook would comply, just like IBM did, because corporates have no morals, only greed.

    --
    Avantgarde Hebrew science fiction
  11. Dream On by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Public Wi-Fi from the edge so you're not on camera inside.

    Right, then you are only on about fifteen cameras OUTSIDE...

    And broadcasting an easily triangulated signal so the people reviewing the video feeds know exactly where to look.

    Take public transit with cash card. Do multiple hops. /done.

    Tracking gonna get you bro. That is if you are not murdered first while hanging out in an alley with some expensive electronic kit.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  12. Re:It's about time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Literally not what was said;

    https://slashdot.org/~p51d007 statement;

    I don't care what color you are, what religion you are, what sex you are. Just a couple things. 1. Come here LEGALLY 2. Learn ENGLISH 3. Live within the laws of THIS country 4. Get a job and don't mooch off the government

    ---vs.---

    Your Response;

    Africa for Africans
    Asia for Asians
    Israel for Jews
    White countries for EVERYONE!!

  13. Why? by xenobyte · · Score: 1

    Why would they want to track immigrants? - Perhaps they're only interested in ILLEGAL immigrants? - That would make sense.

    --
    "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
  14. Good. by sproketboy · · Score: 1

    Boot the fuckers out.

    1. Re:Good. by Type44Q · · Score: 1
      I think whoever disingenuously typed "immigrants" instead of "illegal immigrants" should be deported (I believe that's you, Beau).

      Immigrants don't have any more to fear than the rest of us (though that might not be saying all that much).

  15. OMG Trump by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    "ICE, the federal agency tasked with Trump's program of mass deportation"

    Hate to ruin your agenda, but...
    https://www.politico.com/story...

    --
    Just another day in Paradise