Post #43037

2025-12-08 21:29 UTC

When it can be assumed that you are being surveilled while expressing negative opinion about the federal government, it’s probably best to go ahead and make the assumption, particularly during the punitive heights of the second Donald Trump administration. New reporting from the Associated Press this weekend detailed some aspects of not only United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) latest anti-immigrant and deportation campaign in New Orleans, but also some interesting insights into how both the federal and state law enforcement agencies involved have been engaged in online surveillance campaigns to track public sentiment toward that crackdown. The story paints a chilling profile of a United States in which dissent against the regime’s campaign of immigrant-targeted cruelty is being carefully compiled, filed away for the potential of future use against American citizens. Not that any of this should be a surprise for any of us. We have, after all, been warned over and over that organizations like ICE have been wanting to vastly expand their online operations, using the same vastly expanded budget that recently saw them purchase a new $7.3 million fleet of (Canadian made) armored vehicles. The online expansion of ICE, meanwhile, is not just in the name of locating more groups of undocumented immigrants to target, but also to compile sprawling digital enemies lists, creating databases of those who have expressed anti-ICE sentiment. Earlier this year, The Intercept wrote about surveillance contractors sought by ICE, who would be expected to perform algorithm- and AI-aided deep dives into social media users’ post histories, searching for, among other things, “proclivity for violence,” which could include “empathy with a group which has violent tendencies,” among other things. Hope you haven’t expressed “empathy” at any point for any group with “violent tendencies,” right? How does it feel to know that you’d be at the mercy of a freelance surveillance contractor’s mastery of “social and behavioral sciences” and “psychological profiles,” according to ICE’s statement of objectives? How much of these draconian operations have already been implemented isn’t entirely clear thanks to the shroud of secrecy surrounding the DHS and ICE, but fresh reporting in October noted that ICE was in the process of seeking an additional 30 full-time surveillance contractors to staff two of its “targeting centers”–and yes, that is apparently the official, deeply dystopian term for these facilities. These facilities, in Williston, VT and Santa Ana, CA, would run 24/7 shifts as surveillance analysts “receive tips and incoming cases, research individuals online, and package the results into dossiers that could be used by field offices to plan arrests.” The obvious question: How long until the same resources are being used to target those critical of ICE, or those organizing to impede ICE crackdown efforts, under the guise of “interference with law enforcement operations”? It should also be noted that even if ICE isn’t directly targeting those individuals yet, the unspoken threat of this kind of online surveillance could be intended to have a chilling effect on anti-ICE criticism.

Replies (32)

@AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 2025-12-08 21:32

Earlier this year, The Intercept wrote about surveillance contractors sought by ICE, who would be expected to perform algorithm- and AI-aided deep dives into social media users’ post histories, searching for, among other things, “proclivity for violence,” which could include “empathy with a group which has violent tendencies,” among other things. Hope you haven’t expressed “empathy” at any point for any group with “violent tendencies,” right? How does it feel to know that you’d be at the mercy of a freelance surveillance contractor’s mastery of “social and behavioral sciences” and “psychological profiles,” according to ICE’s statement of objectives? How fucking creepy is it to think about this psychological manipulation pre-crime bullshit and take into account that one of the briefings released yesterday took note of people in New Orleans seeming especially disturbed by videos with the sound of crying children.

Open ##43046
@tidderuuf@lemmy.world 2025-12-08 21:34

If ICE wants to crack down on people’s 1A rights then they may quickly be finding issues with the 5A folks. Well, in some states anyways.

Open ##43052
@db2__dup_9305@lemmy.world 2025-12-08 21:54

The only good Nazi is a dead Nazi.

Open ##43111
@Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 2025-12-08 22:03

ICE can watch this: 🫱(‿¤‿)🫲

Open ##43138
@stoy@lemmy.zip 2025-12-08 22:03

Don’t really care, I am a Swede in Sweden, with no desire to visit the US in the forseeable future.

Open ##43139
@0ndead@infosec.pub 2025-12-08 22:05

ICE & CBP are traitors to this country

Open ##43141
@SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 2025-12-08 22:34

Make sure when they come to your house that they don’t leave! :3

Open ##43216
@DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2025-12-08 22:43

Fuck Ice

Open ##43245
@TommySoda@lemmy.world 2025-12-08 22:46

My guess is that they don’t quite have the resources to do anything about it but are more than happy to let everyone know they are doing it to scare people. We’ve already seen how abysmal their ICE recruitment numbers have been and I highly doubt they’d be able to do anything against more than 50% of the entire population with what they currently have. Obligatory Fuck ICE

Open ##43253
@Nima@leminal.space 2025-12-08 23:31

ICE can go fuck themselves with a rusty rake 💕🫰😘 twice 😊

Open ##43396
@kokesh@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 00:11

Really? Ok! Fuck you tRump!

Open ##43501
@Krono@lemmy.today 2025-12-09 00:11

Well there’s a good chance I’ll die in a Trump concentration camp, so might as well make the best of it. Shoot to kill any intruders that invade your home without a warrant. If ICE Gestapo thugs invade your home without a warrant, be a hero. Exercise your second amendment right.

Open ##43502
@chilldrivenspade@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 00:17

FrEeDuMb

Open ##43521
@finalarbiter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2025-12-09 00:30

Good. There should be no confusion when we go for their fucking heads.

Open ##43554
@space@reddthat.com 2025-12-09 01:24

This is exactly why I have been very vocal about my disapproval. The more people they have to watch the less effectively they can do it.

Open ##43676
@TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 01:30

Oh yeah?

Open ##43695
@GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 01:43

eat shit and go to hell.

Open ##43716
@Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 02:33

I hope every ICE member dies.

Open ##43843
@Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 03:05

Sup, ICE. You’ve done such a good job emulating your rolemodel from the 1930s/40s with the mustache, I think you’ve all earned a fast-track in that career!! Just skip right to the end and go ahead and feed yourself that bullet! Remember not to aim perpendicular to your throat - that’ll just punch a potentially nonfatal hole: instead aim it up toward your brain! You are a traitor not just to your country, but to all +of humanity: your legacy will only ever be that of a villainous cautionary tale. Best of luck with the go kill yourself! 💖

Open ##43935
@mycodesucks@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 03:06

Oh, I’m sorry… I might be too quiet.

Open ##43937
@Kolanaki@pawb.social 2025-12-09 03:06

Big Brother can ligma nuts.

Open ##43940
@drdalek@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2025-12-09 03:18

Fuck ICE, Fuck Meta, Fuck Flock, Fuck this 1984 bullshit

Open ##43968
@W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 2025-12-09 03:37

Good. I want them to know. I want everyone to know that ICE is a bunch of limp dick nazis.

Open ##44012
@Psythik@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 04:58

I doubt ICE is even aware of Lemmy’s existence. They’re more likely swarming the major normie platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Either way, they can swallow my dick & balls and lick my whole asshole clean.

Open ##44203
@NutWrench@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 13:32

Hey ICE:

Open ##45317
@rayyy@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 13:35

For the ICE folks it’s all fun and ghoul games now but the tide will change and they will not like it.

Open ##45321
@Passerby6497@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 14:07

I cannot wait for this regime and it’s Toadies to meet up with the modern John C Woods

Open ##45388
@BigBenis@lemmy.world 2025-12-09 16:59

Big Brother can suck my dick.

Open ##45863
@supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 2025-12-09 17:06

Fuck ICE

Open ##45892
@Jumbie@lemmy.zip 2025-12-09 17:08

We keep allowing The Dotard Regime to weaken us and our enemies are picking their moment. Our country is in danger from enemies domestic and foreign.

Open ##45899
@muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 2025-12-11 00:10

So…what? Seriously, do they expect us to just be nice to ICE? Like if we ignore everything they will leave us alone? We’ve seen this before. We know how this ends. They are coming for all of us either way. So where is the incentive to be civil to ICE? These people are mentally ill if they think they can threaten their way to credibility and respect.

Open ##50811
@village604@adultswim.fan 2025-12-08 22:06

I mean, the NSA data centers have been doing this for ages now.

Open ##1299953