Jan 28, 2026
3 min read
Five-year-old boy arrested in Minnesota.Read the news and watch the video on LA7
From Chicago to Minneapolis, federal ice agents are increasingly relying on cellphones as a surprise tool in their operations as they take on the Trump administration's long-awaited crackdown.Instead of simply communicating, they film arrests, scan faces and collect personal information in real time, a move that gained national attention after a cell phone recording of the intervention that led to the shooting death of federal agent Renee Goode.
CNN investigation: personal phones and government technology in the field
A CNN analysis of dozens of videos provides the clearest picture yet of the often unconventional use of personal and government cameras by federal immigration agents.The devices are used to handle documents and prepare content for social media, but above all to implement facial recognition software.According to the investigation, US Customs and Border Protection agents also use cell phones in similar ways during roundups.
What is Mobile Fortify, a facial scanning app
At the center of attention is Mobile Fortify, an app developed by the Department of Homeland Security and first reported by the independent newspaper 404 Media.
The app allows agents to scan a person's face and immediately access the immigration database, identifying photos, fingerprints and information.
Launched last year and available only on government phones, Mobile Fortify is described by DHS officials as an "efficient" tool designed to speed up field operations.However, an internal DHS document reveals that the app can be used to collect data from "individuals regardless of citizenship or immigration status" and store photos including images of US citizens.
Facial recognition without consent
In the video that CNN examined, the officers rarely ask for permission before taking pictures of the faces of the citizens.In some cases, scans are performed despite requests to stop.
In one video, a boy who says he's 16 and undocumented asks an officer, "Can we get facials?"
According to the DHS source, the interface shown in the video corresponds to Mobile Fortify.
Unlike biometric screening at airports, where travelers can opt out of facial recognition, civilians are not offered that option during ICE operations.
Video and Propaganda: Push from the White House
The rise of videos is the result of a new communication strategy.According to a former DHS official, the White House has asked for more content to be posted on social media.
“The administration is using every tool at its disposal to share the truth with the American people,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, adding that the videos demonstrate the fight against fake news and the arrest of “the worst.”
Case of 5-year-old boy caught in Minnesota
In an environment of intensive operations, the case of Liam Ramos, a five-year-old boy who was detained by ICE agents in Minnesota while walking home from school with his father, has sparked outrage.Both were transferred to a detention center in Texas.
According to school superintendent Zena Stenvik, the officer ordered the boy to get out of the car and knock on the front door to see if other adults were inside, "using the bait by himself."
Local schools released photos showing Liam next to a masked officer, who still had his backpack over his shoulder.
"They are not criminals": defending the family
The family's attorney, Mark Prokosh, explained that the father and son have active asylum cases and entered the United States through an official port of entry."They did everything according to the rules. They did not come illegally and they are not criminals," he said.
According to Prakosh, the arrest of such a child will have a devastating effect not only on the family, but also on the entire school community.
Technology, security and civil rights
DHS advocates using Mobile Fortify as a “legal tool” under strict guidelines and formal privacy oversight.But the widespread use of facial recognition in the field, combined with systematic video production, is raising increasingly urgent questions about the boundaries between security, propaganda, and citizenship in the United States.
