American Community Media Press Briefing | September 5, 2025
By Kainat Rajput
On September 5, 2025, American Community Media convened a national press briefing entitled “Expanding Surveillance of Immigrants — At What Cost?” The event brought together policy experts, privacy advocates, lawyers, journalists, and community members to examine how the U.S. government’s rapidly growing surveillance apparatus is reshaping immigrant lives — and potentially eroding privacy rights for everyone.
The conversation was not just about immigrants, but about the fundamental trade-off between security, privacy, and democracy.
About the Speakers
Nicole Alvarez – Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress
Nicole Alvarez is a seasoned policy analyst specializing in immigration, privacy, and technology at the Center for American Progress (CAP) in Washington, D.C. Her work focuses on the intersection of immigrant rights, government accountability, and digital surveillance. She has authored multiple reports on federal data-sharing practices and the risks of centralized databases that undermine civil liberties. Nicole has been a strong advocate for updating the Privacy Act of 1974 to address modern technological challenges. With a background in public policy and civil rights law, she brings both research expertise and frontline advocacy to the national debate on immigrant surveillance.
Emerald Tse – Senior Fellow, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy & Technology
Emerald Tse is a legal scholar and researcher at the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy & Technology. She has written extensively on biometric data collection, predictive policing, and the civil liberties implications of artificial intelligence. Emerald’s recent work has examined how DNA collection at U.S. borders and facial recognition in airports disproportionately impact immigrant communities. She is known for bridging law and technology, helping policymakers understand the risks of unchecked surveillance tools. Her scholarship has been cited in congressional hearings and used by advocacy groups pushing for stronger safeguards in the use of biometrics
Sophia Cope – Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Sophia Cope is a veteran civil liberties attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), where she leads work on digital privacy, free speech, and surveillance. With more than two decades of experience in technology and media law, she has litigated landmark cases defending journalists, activists, and vulnerable communities against invasive government practices. Sophia’s expertise includes device searches at the border, spyware threats, and government surveillance contracts with private vendors. She is a frequent media commentator and has testified before legislative bodies on digital rights. At EFF, her mission is clear: ensuring that technological progress does not come at the cost of individual freedoms.
The Expanding Net of Data Surveillance
Nicole Alvarez began by highlighting how government agencies increasingly reuse data collected for one purpose — such as taxes, healthcare, or benefits — for immigration enforcement.
⦁ The IRS has entered agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share taxpayer data.
⦁ The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have shared health data with DHS.
⦁ Local governments often provide driver’s license or school enrollment data, which can be cross-checked against federal records.
This trend, Alvarez argued, is creating a “digital watchtower” — a centralized system of surveillance that undermines the Privacy Act of 1974, which requires agencies to collect only relevant information and, wherever possible, directly from the individual concerned.
Her warning: “Immigrants are the first to feel the pressure of this system, but history tells us these tools never stay confined. Once built, they expand.”
Biometrics and Predictive Technology
Emerald Tse delved into the role of biometrics and predictive analytics. From DNA collection at the border to facial recognition in airports, immigrant communities are being subjected to cutting-edge technologies without their full consent.
She warned that the indefinite retention of biometric data — fingerprints, iris scans, DNA — creates permanent digital trails that can follow individuals for life.
Her key point: surveillance is no longer just about “who you are,” but increasingly about predicting what you might do. Predictive analytics, she explained, risks automating bias against vulnerable populations.
Digital Security and Community Resistance
Sophia Cope from the EFF shifted the focus to practical defense. She discussed spyware like Graphite that targets activists and journalists, and explained how border device searches have become an everyday risk for immigrants and travelers.
Her recommendations included:
⦁ Encrypting communications
⦁ Using secure apps for organizing
⦁ Advocating for stronger legislative guardrails around data use and surveillance contracts
Her message to community journalists: “Protect your devices as fiercely as you protect your sources.”
Community Reactions: From the Chat Box
The chat box during the briefing reflected urgent questions from immigrant rights advocates and community media professionals:
⦁ “Will predictive analytics and AI make surveillance unavoidable in the next five years?”
⦁ “Are undocumented women reporting domestic violence at risk of deportation if they call the police?”
⦁ “Can class-action lawsuits force agencies to comply with the Privacy Act?”
⦁ “How do we advocate for reforms when communities fear visibility?”
⦁ “Who profits from surveillance contracts — and who pays the price?”
These exchanges showed both the fear and determination within immigrant-serving communities.
Legal & Policy Dimensions
Panelists emphasized that immigration surveillance is not happening in isolation. It is tied to broader government contracts with tech vendors and data brokers, and legislative frameworks have not kept up.
Nicole Alvarez underscored the need to update the Privacy Act of 1974. Proposals by Sens. Ron Wyden and Ed Markey, she noted, could strengthen protections by limiting inter-agency data sharing and requiring stronger accountability.
Emerald Tse pointed to the need for judicial oversight of biometric retention and predictive analytics tools. Without checks, she warned, “temporary security measures become permanent architecture.
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Why This Matters for Everyone
While immigrants are the first and most visible targets, the briefing repeatedly returned to the idea that these tools will not stop at immigrant communities.
History offers examples:
⦁ Programs built for counterterrorism later used in local policing.
⦁ Surveillance initially aimed at border security later deployed for domestic protests.
As Alvarez put it: “What starts with immigrants rarely ends with immigrants. Surveillance is a slippery slope.”
Key Takeaways
⦁ Immigrants are test subjects for surveillance technologies that will later affect all Americans.
⦁ Data-sharing across agencies undermines trust and violates the spirit of the Privacy Act.
⦁ Biometrics and predictive analytics pose long-term risks of automated bias and permanent profiling.
⦁ Community journalists and advocates face heightened risks, requiring stronger digital security practices.
⦁ Legislative reforms and public awareness are urgently needed to restore balance between security and civil liberties.
Conclusion: A Call for Vigilance
The September 5th briefing made clear that immigrant surveillance is not simply about enforcement — it’s about power, data, and the future of privacy in America. The speakers urged community journalists to stay vigilant, report boldly, and continue raising awareness of how these tools affect not just immigrants, but everyone who interacts with the U.S. government.
Or, as Sophia Cope summed it up: “When we defend the privacy of immigrants, we defend democracy itself.”
