WASHINGTON, D.C. — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracted with Paragon, a company that makes spyware capable of remotely hacking mobile phones and accessing messages from encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. In September 2025, 404 Media sued ICE for records related to its $2 million contract with Paragon after filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in October 2024 for documents concerning the purchase by Homeland Security Investigations, a component of ICE.
ICE provided 77 heavily redacted pages out of 673 potentially responsive pages in response to the FOIA request. The released documents include a “pricing narrative” from Paragon and an overview of the software and contract objectives, both containing extensive redactions. Many redactions were based on ICE’s claims of trade secrets and records compiled for law enforcement purposes. A partially redacted section of the contract overview states: “Paragon brings our capabilities in response to this [REDACTED] RFP, to support the [REDACTED] mission protecting national security by enforcing the nation’s immigration and customs laws, including criminal activities.” Paragon’s documentation also states: “Our Operational Security (OPSEC) team ensures that the customer can meet operational requirements while minimizing the risk of exposure and attribution. To that end, the team provides ongoing threat analysis, up-to-date guidelines, and continuous risk management updates. In addition, the OPSEC guidelines are incorporated into the System’s function and serve as built-in guardrails for operational activity.”
Acting Director of ICE Todd M. Lyons stated in an April 1, 2026, letter to lawmakers that he approved the purchase and use of Paragon’s technology “in response to the unprecedented lethality of fentanyl and the exploitation of digital platforms by transactional criminal organizations.” He also cited “the specific challenges posed by the Foreign Terrorist Organizations’ thriving exploitation of encrypted communication platforms.” Lyons wrote that the technology would “align with and support the Homeland Security Task Force’s strategic initiatives to identify, disrupt, and dismantle Foreign Terrorist Organizations, addressing the escalating fentanyl epidemic and safeguarding national security.”
The Biden White House placed a freeze on ICE’s Paragon contract in 2024 while investigating whether it violated an executive order aimed at curbing government use of spyware. ICE reactivated the contract in August 2025 during the second Trump administration. ICE closed out its contract with Paragon in January 2026, according to public procurement data reviewed by 404 Media. In May 2026, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told NPR that ICE has no current contract or relationship with Paragon or the company that later acquired it, though DHS declined to clarify whether ICE still has access to Paragon-developed tools.