Leaked documents show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased its reliance on Microsoft’s cloud technology last year as the agency stepped up arrest and deportation operations.
According to the files, ICE more than tripled the amount of data stored in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in the six months through January 2026, a period in which the agency’s budget grew and its workforce rapidly expanded.
ICE appears to be using a range of Microsoft’s productivity tools as well as AI-powered products to search and analyze data residing in Azure. The files suggest that some of the agency’s equipment and systems may also be running on Microsoft servers.
Documents – obtained by the Guardian and its partners +972 magazine And local call – Raise questions about whether Microsoft technology is facilitating immigration actions by an agency accused of conducting illegal operations and using grossly excessive force.
ICE enforcement operations have increased in the past year as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. The agency is now at the center of a battle in Congress over its funding, sparked by the deaths of two people in Minneapolis, which led to a partial US government shutdown.
In July, ICE received a $75bn budget increase, making it the largest budget highest funded American law enforcement body. With this unprecedented increase in funding, the agency has launched a to have fun on technology, awarding contracts to big companies like palantir Together lesser known Provider.
ICE, which has been compared to a domestic surveillance agency, has access to vast amounts of data on people living in the US. it is increasing armory including surveillance technology facial recognition appsPhone location databases, drones and invasive spyware.
As the agency expands to 2025, it extended Spending on cloud computing Amazon and Microsoft, both longtime providers to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have emerged as beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar deals struck by third-party resellers.
The leaked documents do not specify the type of information stored by ICE on Microsoft servers. However, they indicate that the agency has used Azure services that include “blob storage” of raw data as well as AI tools that analyze images and video and translate text.
In January, according to the files, ICE held about 1,400 terabytes in Azure, which would amount to about 490m images if only photos were included. It topped 400 terabytes in July 2025 after climbing in the second half of last year, the files show.
According to the documents, ICE is also using virtual machines on Azure. These are effectively computers that run in the cloud but can be accessed remotely. It appears that ICE is renting these high-powered computers to run the software.
The agency has more than double Its workforce is believed to have significantly expanded its access to Microsoft’s productivity apps from January 2025, giving users access to document management tools and AI chatbots.
It’s not clear from the files whether ICE is using Azure to store or analyze information collected through any of its surveillance or intelligence gathering activities, or whether the cloud platform supports other functions, such as running detention centers or deportation flights. ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
A Microsoft spokesperson said it “provides cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to DHS and ICE, delivered through our key partners”. He said Microsoft’s policies and terms of service “do not permit our technology to be used for mass surveillance of citizens, and we do not believe ICE is engaged in such activity”.
The spokesperson said: “There are currently many public issues related to immigration enforcement, and we believe that Congress, the executive branch, and the courts have an opportunity to draw clear legal lines regarding the acceptable use of emerging technologies by law enforcement.”
quick guide
Contact Harry Davis about this story
show
If you have something to share about this story, you can contact Harry using one of the following methods.
Secure messaging in the Guardian app
The Guardian app has a tool for sending suggestions about stories. Messages are end-to-end encrypted and hidden in the routine activity performed by each Guardian mobile app. This prevents the observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.
If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’.
To send a message to Harry, please select the ‘UK Investigation’ team.
signal messenger
You can send messages to Harry using the Signal messenger app. Use the ‘Search by username’ option and type HFD.90
Email (not secure)
If you do not require a higher level of security or privacy you can email harry.davies@theguardian.com
SecureDrop and other secure methods
If you can safely use the Tor network without being observed or monitored you can send messages and documents to the Guardian through our SecureDrop platform.
Finally, our guide on theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each.
According to Microsoft sources, several employees in recent months have raised concerns internally about ICE’s use of the company’s technology, including filing internal ethics reports.
In December 2025, the company responded to one such report, saying it had no existing contracts that “support immigration enforcement”. Later the company seemed to mitigate this situation. It acknowledged to staff that it has contracts with ICE and DHS, but said it “does not currently maintain contracts for AI services specifically tied to enforcement activities”.
Microsoft is not alone in facing unease among employees over its dealings with federal immigration authorities. For large US tech groups, ICE and sister agency Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been longtime customers, but have become increasingly controversial due to their aggressive tactics and involvement in deadly shootings.
Last week, Amazon employees and workers protested Outside the company’s Seattle headquarters, calls were made for the company to sever ties with federal immigration agencies. The company benefits from a series of large cloud deals with DHS to provide cloud infrastructure to ICE and CBP.
More than 1,300 employees at Google, which provides cloud services to both agencies, recently signed up petition With the same set of demands. “DHS is also violating civil and national law civil and human rights“The petition reads. “We must end our complicity in bringing them to power.”
-
Beyond the headlines: inside stories from the Guardian’s investigative team. On 16 March, join the Guardian’s investigative team, Paul Lewis, Sirin Kale, Lucy Osborne, David Conn and Harry Davies, for a deeper look into the stories behind some of the Guardian’s biggest headlines. book tickets here
