Reps. Lee, Brown, Ansari Demand Answers from DHS on Use of Foreign Spyware by ICE
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 6, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, and Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) led a letter raising urgent concerns over reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has activated a contract with Paragon Solutions, a foreign spyware company whose surveillance product "Graphite" has the ability to covertly access private data on Americans’ cell phones without their knowledge or consent.
In the letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers warn that ICE’s potential use of Graphite, which employs “zero-click” exploits to access encrypted messages, photos, and real-time location data, poses a serious threat to civil liberties, privacy, and constitutional protections—all of which have been undermined under the Trump Administration.
“Given the Trump Administration’s disregard for constitutional rights and civil liberties in pursuit of rapid mass deportation, we are seriously concerned that ICE will abuse Graphite software to target immigrants, people of color, and individuals who express opposition to ICE’s repeated attacks on the rule of law,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter references alarming reports that Paragon spyware has already been used to target journalists and human rights advocates in Europe. It also invokes Supreme Court rulings — Riley v. California (2014) and Carpenter v. United States (2018) — which affirmed the need for a warrant before law enforcement can access cell phone content or location data.
In light of potential constitutional violations, the Members are demanding transparency and oversight. Specifically, they are requesting:
- All communications and documents discussing ICE’s use of spyware, including but not limited to Paragon Solutions software like Graphite;
- All communications and documents regarding the legality of and legal justification for using spyware or mass electronic surveillance for immigration enforcement;
- A comprehensive list of data surveillance targets and ICE’s strategy for deploying spyware or mass data surveillance within the United States; and
- All communications and documents regarding the legality of using spyware against individuals residing within the United States given Executive Order 14093.
“Allowing ICE access to spyware that can be used to easily track and monitor the public—including those vocally opposed to governmental overreach— threatens Americans’ freedom of movement and freedom of speech...[and] raises serious questions about whether ICE will respect Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless search and seizure for people residing in the U.S,” the letter concludes.
The Members of Congress are seeking a full response from DHS by October 14, 2025.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.