The Trump administration has proposed a $100 million initiative to create a new unit within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) called "Overwatch and National Security Enforcement." This unit would employ more than 140 intelligence analysts and project managers who would hold "top secret" security clearances. According to government documents, the unit would be based in field offices in 27 cities, including major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with a central project manager stationed in Washington, D.C. The analysts would not be allowed to make arrests but would instead compile reports using data from both classified and unclassified sources to detect changes in activity, recurring patterns, and potential threats relevant to ICE’s operations. This proposal follows a significant boost in federal funding for ICE’s deportation programs, with tens of billions of dollars set aside over the next few years for hiring more agents and expanding detention facilities. ICE has already invested millions in data collection technologies, such as cell phone tracking, facial recognition, license plate readers, and even drones. Earlier this year, ICE also sought up to $180 million for "skip tracing services" provided by private investigators, bounty hunters, and bail bondsmen to locate individuals evading deportation. The new unit comes amid growing concerns over ICE's surveillance practices. Recent federal court documents revealed that ICE agents monitored a Minneapolis church, despite a court warning that such actions could have "profoundly troubling" consequences. The agency reportedly used license plate readers to track the vehicles of church attendees as part of a broader surveillance effort targeting protests in the area. Massachusetts Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV had previously blocked the administration’s policy allowing arrests inside places of worship and is now considering whether ICE should be held in contempt for violating his ruling. ICE’s hiring practices have also faced criticism. An anonymous ICE official, who once evaluated new recruits, warned that the Trump administration’s expedited hiring process created "grave national security risks" by lowering vetting standards. The official claimed that some candidates were offered jobs before they passed background checks. A similar concern was raised by former ICE lawyer Ryan Schwank, who alleged that the ICE Academy was training cadets to potentially violate constitutional rights and was keeping these practices secret.