Federal lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
demanding information on any plans Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has
to use Graphite, a spyware program that can access
— without the owner’s knowledge or consent
— a phone’s location data, photos, and encrypted applications, including WhatsApp and Signal.

Last year, the Biden administration paused the contract with Paragon Solutions, which operates Graphite,
while it conducted a review to ensure it complied with an executive order issued in 2023
which limits the government’s use of spyware.

In August, the Trump administration lifted the stop work order, news that was first reported by All-Source Intelligence.

The letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was signed by Democratic Reps. Summer Lee (Pennsylvania), Shontel Brown (Ohio), and Yassamin Ansari (Arizona).

The lawmakers asked Noem to provide information on the government’s use of surveillance technology by October 14,
including “a comprehensive list of data surveillance targets and ICE’s strategy for deploying spyware or mass data surveillance within the United States.”
The lawmakers warned that allowing ICE to use to spyware
“threatens Americans’ freedom of movement and freedom of speech.”
https://truthout.org/articles/lawmakers-demand-information-about-potential-use-of-paragon-spyware-by-ice/