TL;DR: ICE signed a $4.5 million sole-source contract with BI2 Technologies for iris-scanning tech that works from smartphones. Agents can identify you from a meter away in seconds. The deal gives ICE unlimited access to 5 million iris records built from jail bookings at 247 agencies in 47 states. Unlike fingerprints, which require physical contact, iris scans can be captured without you knowing. No privacy impact assessment has been published. This is ICE's newest biometric tool, joining facial recognition and license plate readers in an expanding surveillance arsenal.
The Contract
In September 2025, ICE quietly signed a $4.5 million deal with a company most people have never heard of: BI2 Technologies, based in Plymouth, Massachusetts.[1]
The contract gives ICE agents two systems:
- I.R.I.S. (Inmate Recognition and Identification System): iris scanning for jails and processing centers
- MORIS (Mobile Offender Recognition and Information System): a smartphone app that turns any iPhone or Android into a portable iris scanner
Both systems connect to the same database: 5 million booking records from 247 law enforcement agencies across 47 states.[2]
ICE awarded this contract without competitive bidding. The justification? BI2 Technologies is "the only vendor capable of providing these specific systems."[3] No other company operates a national iris database built specifically for law enforcement.
How It Works
The MORIS app captures iris images from 10 to 15 inches away using a smartphone camera.[2] Some documentation suggests it can work from distances up to one meter.[4]
The scanner extracts over 265 unique points from your iris to create a biometric template. That template gets checked against BI2's national database. The whole process takes seconds.[4]
According to ICE's filing, the system has 99% accuracy when matching irises against nationwide arrest records.[2]
BI2 claims iris scanning is faster and more accurate than fingerprints. Fingerprints can take hours to process. Iris scans return results in seconds. And unlike fingerprints, they don't require you to touch anything, or even cooperate.
The Database
BI2 operates the only non-federal, national iris database in the United States built specifically for law enforcement.[1]
Here's what's in it:
- 5 million booking records
- 1.5 million unique individuals
- 247 contributing agencies (primarily sheriffs' departments)
- Coverage in 47 states
The database was built through a decade-long partnership with local corrections facilities. When you get booked into jail in many jurisdictions, they capture your iris along with fingerprints and mugshots. Those scans feed into BI2's system.[3]
ICE's contract gives agents "immediate access" to this entire database for identity checks during field operations.[2]
Part of a Growing Arsenal
Iris scanning is just the newest addition to ICE's biometric toolkit. The agency has been on a surveillance buying spree since the July 2025 funding bill allocated over $6 billion for border enforcement technology.[5]
ICE agents now carry:
Mobile Fortify
Facial recognition app powered by NEC. Used over 100,000 times in the field. Can capture faceprints and contactless fingerprints. Stores biometric data for 15 years, even for U.S. citizens.[6]
MORIS Iris Scanner
The new BI2 system. Scans irises from smartphone cameras, checks against 5 million records in seconds.
License Plate Readers
Motorola mobile readers plus Thomson Reuters database with 20+ billion plate scans. Shows where your car goes and who it visits.[7]
Location Tracking
Penlink's Webloc subscription lets agents "geofence" areas and track all phones within. No warrant required.[7]
Combined with databases like Palantir ELITE and access to social media scrapers, ICE has assembled the most powerful surveillance infrastructure of any U.S. law enforcement agency.
No Public Oversight
ICE posted its notice of intent for the BI2 contract on August 6, 2025. The final award came September 25, 2025.[3]
What's missing: any public documentation of how iris data will be used, shared, audited, or protected.[4]
No privacy impact assessment has been published for the MORIS system. The contract doesn't specify:
- Who can access iris scans collected in the field
- How long those scans are retained
- Whether scans are shared with other agencies
- What happens to scans of people who turn out to be U.S. citizens
- Any audit trail requirements
BI2's president, Sean Mullin, didn't respond to interview requests from local media.[2] The company's website touts law enforcement partnerships but says nothing about data governance.
Why Eyes Are Different
Your iris pattern is more stable than your fingerprint and more reliable than your face. It doesn't change with age, weight, or plastic surgery. Even identical twins have different iris patterns.
But the real difference is collection. Fingerprints require physical contact. Facial recognition needs a clear shot of your face, and can be fooled by masks, hats, or angles.
Iris scanning can be done at a distance. The subject doesn't need to touch anything. They might not even know it's happening.
That makes it powerful for identification. It also makes it invasive in ways fingerprints aren't. An agent can scan people in a crowd, at a traffic stop, or during a "consensual encounter" without any physical contact.
Not Just Immigrants
ICE calls this immigration enforcement technology. But 5 million booking records means the database is full of U.S. citizens.
If you've ever been arrested (for anything, anywhere in 47 states) your iris might be in BI2's database. It doesn't matter if charges were dropped or you were found innocent. The biometric stays.
ICE's Mobile Fortify facial recognition has already swept up citizens. According to court filings in Illinois, agents have been told that a biometric match is "definitive," and they can ignore evidence of citizenship, including birth certificates, if the app says otherwise.[6]
The same dynamics apply to iris scanning. The database doesn't distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. It just returns a match.
What You Should Know
There's no practical way to avoid iris scanning if an ICE agent decides to scan you during an encounter. Unlike giving fingerprints, you can't refuse to have your eyes.
But you should know:
- You can ask if you're free to go. If the answer is yes, you can walk away before any scanning happens.
- You can decline to answer questions. Fifth Amendment rights still apply. You don't have to provide identification verbally.
- Document everything. Note the time, location, agent badge numbers, and what happened. This matters if there's a legal challenge later.
- Contact an attorney if you believe your rights were violated.
Organizations like the ACLU and EFF are tracking ICE biometric surveillance. Their resources can help you understand your rights in your specific state.
The Bottom Line
For $4.5 million, ICE bought instant access to 5 million people's most permanent biometric identifier. The technology works from a smartphone. The database was built from jail bookings. No privacy safeguards have been published.
This isn't hypothetical surveillance technology. It's deployed now. ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division is using MORIS in the field alongside facial recognition, plate readers, and location tracking.
Your eyes are your identity. Now ICE can capture that identity in seconds, from a meter away, without you touching a thing.
References
- Boston Globe - ICE ups investment in surveillance technology with $4.5 million contract with Mass. tech firm
- Plymouth Independent - Plymouth firm's app lets ICE identify people through eye scans
- Immigration Policy Tracking Project - ICE notices intent to sole-source iris-scanning app and database
- Biometric Update - ICE's biometric surveillance reach expands with BI2 iris scanning tech
- ID Tech Wire - ICE Expands Biometric Surveillance With Mobile Iris-Scanning Systems
- PBS News - DHS intensifies surveillance in immigration raids, sweeping in citizens
- Washington Post - The powerful tools in ICE's arsenal to track suspects and protesters