tech
February 17, 2026
ICE reliance on Microsoft technology surged amid immigration crackdown, documents show
Exclusive: ICE more than tripled the amount of data stored in Microsoft’s cloud at the same time that its arsenal of surveillance technology ballooned
TL;DR
- ICE significantly increased its use of Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, tripling data storage in the six months before January 2026.
- The agency utilized Microsoft's productivity tools and AI-driven products to search and analyze data stored in Azure.
- ICE's budget and workforce expanded rapidly during this period, coinciding with intensified arrest and deportation operations.
- Leaked documents raise questions about Microsoft technology facilitating ICE's immigration enforcement activities.
- Microsoft stated its policies prohibit mass surveillance and expressed belief that government branches should set legal limits for emerging technologies in law enforcement.
- Internal concerns have been raised by Microsoft employees regarding ICE's use of the company's technology.
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