Chicago has become the latest flashpoint in America’s immigration debate after reports revealed that federal agents are using facial recognition technology on city streets to identify migrants for potential deportation. According to investigative reporting by 404 Media, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been equipped with a mobile tool called Mobile Fortify — a smartphone app capable of scanning faces or fingerprints to verify a person’s identity within seconds.
The app, confirmed by a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, represents a new phase in field-level surveillance, blending cutting-edge technology with everyday policing. Agents can point a phone’s camera at an individual, and the software instantly cross-references massive government databases to determine immigration status.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to open a major call center dedicated to tracking unaccompanied migrant children and other immigration offenders. A recently released government contracting document shows that this center will work closely with state and local police to locate minors who entered the country without a parent or guardian.
Massive Call Center Planned to Track Migrant Children Nationwide
According to the document, the center will operate 24 hours a day and manage between 6,000 to 7,000 calls daily. The facility is expected to become a central hub for gathering and sharing information between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. It will collect details about the locations and movements of migrant children and pass them on to federal officials for further action.
The planned call center is part of a broader immigration enforcement initiative led by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, federal authorities began an operation to locate and deport unaccompanied migrant children who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and were living in the United States without guardians. This initiative is the first of its kind and marks a major shift in how the government handles migrant children.
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ICE plans to locate the call center in Nashville, Tennessee, but the contracting document does not explain why the agency chose the city. CoreCivic, a private company that manages several detention centers for ICE under government contracts, is also based in Nashville. Although officials have not confirmed the company’s involvement in the project, its presence in the same city has drawn attention.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE, and CoreCivic have not yet issued formal statements or comments about the project.
Expansion of Immigration Enforcement and Local Cooperation on Migrant Children
The proposed call center represents another step in the Trump administration’s expansion of immigration enforcement partnerships. These partnerships fall under a program known as 287(g), which allows local and state police to assist federal immigration officers in identifying and detaining undocumented individuals, including migrant children found without guardians.
Since the beginning of this administration, the number of local agencies participating in this program has surged. According to ICE data, only about 135 agencies were part of the program before 2017. Today, that number has grown to more than 1,100 agencies across the United States.
Through these agreements, local officers can share information directly with ICE, help identify immigration offenders during routine policing, and sometimes even take part in detention procedures involving migrant children and their families. The expansion of these partnerships has significantly increased the reach of federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Critics argue that these collaborations may create fear within immigrant communities. Some community leaders say that when local police work closely with immigration authorities, immigrants—both documented and undocumented—may become hesitant to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement. They fear that even simple interactions could expose them or their family members, including migrant children, to immigration checks or deportation risks.
Despite these concerns, ICE continues to strengthen its coordination with state and local governments. The new call center could become another tool to streamline this cooperation and expand surveillance of immigration-related cases across the country.
Controversy Over Tracking and Deporting Unaccompanied Children
The initiative to track and deport migrant children has stirred national debate. Many of these minors arrive in the United States after long, dangerous journeys to escape violence or poverty. They are usually placed in shelters or with sponsors while their immigration cases are reviewed.
Previously, migrant children were a lower priority for deportation. Under new policies, ICE has started locating minors with pending cases, and some face removal despite ongoing legal proceedings. Reports say ICE even attempted to deport Guatemalan minors whose cases were unresolved, raising concerns about due process for migrant children.
The new call center adds to this shift by allowing ICE to collect and share data from local police, making it easier to locate migrant children nationwide. The Nashville-based facility will also handle calls on other immigration offenders, centralizing information and speeding enforcement.
Supporters view the plan as a way to strengthen border control, while critics warn it could endanger vulnerable migrant children and deepen tensions between enforcement and humanitarian priorities.