DHS wants smart glasses for ICE agents. Democrats say it’s a threat to privacy
DHS wants smart glasses for ICE agents. Democrats say it’s a threat to privacy
Publish Date: 2026-05-14 11:20:00
Source Domain: san.com
A group of Democratic senators are pushing back on attempts by the Department of Homeland Security to develop its own smart glasses for biometric identification by immigration officers and other federal agents.
The lawmakers say the effort, outlined in the department’s 2027 budget proposal, “presents a grave threat to the privacy and civil rights of people across the United States.”
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In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday, the lawmakers called on the department to “immediately abandon” its plans.
“DHS’s proposed smart glasses could allow its agents to identify individuals, including U.S. citizens, in real time by covertly collecting their biometric information — for example, through a facial scan — without their knowledge or consent,” the letter says. “Given the Trump Administration’s record of abusing surveillance technologies, DHS would be able to weaponize smart glasses and turn them into an authoritarian tool against anyone who speaks out against President Trump.”
The letter was signed by Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Corey Booker, D-N.J., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
The budget document was first revealed on April 20 by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, who reported that the technology would be used, at least initially, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Plans for the smart glasses, according to 404 Media, were also outlined by a DHS official earlier this month at the 2026 Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona.
In the budget proposal, DHS is seeking $7.5 million to develop new technologies and tools, including the smart glasses, for both ICE and Customs and Border Protection. DHS says the smart glasses will “equip agents with real-time access to…
