ICE Reactivates $2M Contract with Paragon Spyware Amid Privacy Concerns

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reactivated a $2 million contract with Paragon Solutions, a spyware company originally based in Israel but now under U.S. ownership, after the Trump administration lifted a Biden-era stop-work order. Paragon’s spyware, known as Graphite, is capable of infiltrating encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp to extract data, raising significant privacy and ethical concerns given its prior use against activists and journalists in Europe. While Paragon markets itself as an ethical spyware provider prohibiting use against journalists and civil society, its technology’s deployment by ICE coincides with President Trump's plans for a nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants and promises of mass deportations. The contract's reactivation followed Paragon’s acquisition by U.S. private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, which helped alleviate concerns about foreign influence and compliance with U.S. laws. Critics warn that tools designed for authoritarian regimes risk undermining civil liberties in democratic contexts, as the debate intensifies over balancing national security with human rights. Both ICE and Paragon have declined to comment on the reactivation, leaving questions about oversight and accountability unanswered.