ICE's Cloud Computing Surge Linked to Immigration Crackdown, Documents Reveal
Leaked documents have exposed a dramatic increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) reliance on Microsoft's cloud technology, coinciding with a significant ramp-up in arrest and deportation operations. The agency more than tripled the amount of data stored in Microsoft's Azure cloud platform over a six-month period leading to January 2026, a time when its budget and workforce expanded rapidly.
Expansion of Surveillance and Data Storage
As ICE enforcement operations surged under the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign, the agency boosted spending on cloud computing from major providers like Microsoft and Amazon. The leaked files indicate ICE is using a range of Microsoft's productivity tools and AI-driven products to search and analyze data stored in Azure, with some of the agency's own systems potentially running on Microsoft servers.
ICE, often compared to a domestic surveillance agency, has access to vast troves of data on U.S. residents and employs an arsenal of surveillance technology, including facial recognition apps, phone location databases, drones, and invasive spyware. The documents show that by January 2026, ICE held nearly 1,400 terabytes in Azure, up from 400 terabytes in July 2025, equivalent to approximately 490 million images if comprised solely of photographs.
Budget Increases and Technology Contracts
In July, ICE received a $75 billion budget increase, making it the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement body. This unprecedented funding has fueled a spending spree on technology, with contracts awarded to firms like Palantir and lesser-known providers. Microsoft and Amazon, long-time providers to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have benefited from deals worth tens of millions of dollars through third-party resellers.
The agency is also using virtual machines on Azure, renting high-powered computers to run software remotely, and has significantly expanded access to Microsoft's suite of productivity apps, which include document management tools and an AI chatbot. However, it remains unclear whether Azure supports surveillance activities, detention center operations, or deportation flights.
Employee Concerns and Corporate Responses
Microsoft employees have raised internal ethics concerns about ICE's use of the company's technology, filing reports in recent months. In response, Microsoft stated it does not have contracts supporting immigration enforcement but later acknowledged agreements with ICE and DHS, clarifying it does not maintain AI services contracts tied specifically to enforcement activities.
A Microsoft spokesperson emphasized that the company's policies prohibit mass surveillance of civilians and expressed confidence ICE is not engaged in such activity. The spokesperson called for clear legal guidelines from Congress, the executive branch, and the courts regarding law enforcement's use of emerging technologies.
Broader Tech Industry Backlash
Microsoft is not alone in facing employee disquiet over business with federal immigration authorities. Amazon workers and activists recently protested outside the company's Seattle headquarters, demanding an end to cloud deals with DHS that provide infrastructure to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). At Google, over 1,300 employees have signed a petition calling for the termination of cloud services to these agencies, citing violations of civil and human rights.
The leaked documents, obtained by the Guardian and its partners, raise critical questions about whether Microsoft technology is facilitating an immigration crackdown by an agency accused of unlawful operations and excessive force. As ICE remains at the center of congressional funding battles and public scrutiny, the role of big tech in supporting its activities continues to spark debate and internal dissent within the industry.
