ICE using beta analytics tool to track human traffickers, transnational criminals

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Services (ICE) has been utilizing a data analytics platform called Igloo to quickly sift through large volumes of data to track the movements of human traffickers and transnational criminal organizations, the agency announced on Monday.

Developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Igloo currently allows select units of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to use machine learning and algorithms to identify patterns and anomalies in vast data sets.

“Agents can use Igloo to scour multiple sources and then track, triangulate and swiftly translate the telltale signs of this type of criminal activity into actionable intelligence,” an ICE release stated. “To further support efficient use of agents’ valuable time, the software is built to have a user-friendly graphical interface.”

S&T Program Manager David Taylor said the software platform can be used to cross-reference and cross-correlate data from various sources, finding commonalities and assisting law enforcement investigations. The technology is currently being used in a beta model, but S&T plans to expand the use of Igloo to additional ICE offices in the future.

“Igloo puts good intelligence into the hands of agents, so they can act on it,” ICE stated. “Its cutting-edge capabilities are allowing investigators to not only find new targets but also deepen their understanding of how TCO networks operate and communicate. Additionally, Igloo is a wholly owned government project, so there are no licensing fees associated with its use or its distribution to agencies.”