Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (May 14, 2026) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today led their colleagues in writing to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the agency abandon its dangerous proposal, included in DHS’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027, to develop “smart glasses” for its immigration officers. These smart glasses would allow DHS officers to quickly identify individuals in public by covertly taking their photo and running it through biometric identification systems — such as facial recognition software — threatening the privacy and civil liberties of every person in the United States. Smart glasses are the latest example of the Trump administration’s growing surveillance state, which is intended to silence dissent and intimidate Trump’s political opponents.

Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also signed the letter.

In their letter, the Senators wrote, “Given DHS’s record during the Trump administration of exploiting surveillance technologies, we are deeply concerned that smart glasses will be abused by this administration. Over the past year, DHS has deployed biometric identification tools — including facial recognition technologies — to identify individuals engaged in protest activity, intimidate them, and deter lawful dissent. The Trump administration seems to relish these practices, which endanger the core democratic right to challenge the government without fear of punishment. Smart glasses would provide yet another opportunity for DHS to extend its surveillance capabilities and intimidate individuals across the country.”

Senator Markey has been leading efforts to hold ICE and DHS accountable for their gross violations of Americans’ First Amendment rights and their weaponization of surveillance technologies against peaceful protestors, immigrants, and American citizens.

1. On February 5, 2026, Senator Markey, along with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, bicameral legislation that would ban ICE and CBP from acquiring and using facial recognition technology (FRT) and other biometric identification systems.
2. Also in February, Senator Markey wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons demanding that Lyons immediately confirm or deny reports that the agency is maintaining a so-called “domestic terrorists” database to track individuals protesting ICE activities.
3. In November 2025, Senator Markey wrote to CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, urging the agency to immediately cease using a system of license plate readers (LPRs) and predictive algorithms to monitor the movements of individual Americans. CBP is reportedly using the system to “identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.”
4. Also in November, Senator Markey led his colleagues in requesting that ICE cease the use of their biometric phone application known as Mobile Fortify following a previous unanswered request.
5. In September, Senators Markey and Merkley wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons, demanding that ICE cease use of Mobile Fortify and requesting detailed information about its policies and practices surrounding the use of biometric technology.
6. In July, Senator Markey, along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Schiff (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem on the DHS’s usage of Predator drones and aerial surveillance against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. In the letter, the senators raised concerns about the threat to the protesters’ privacy and their constitutional rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment.
7. In June, Senators Markey and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote two letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary Noem about the government’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to determine whether an individual poses a national security risk.

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