DHS FY2027 budget reveals $7.5m ICE smart glasses programme moving biometric ID from handheld to wearable covert form factor

A Biometric Update analysis details how DHS’s FY2027 budget request describes a programme to develop smart glasses for ICE that would extend Mobile Fortify facial recognition from a visible handheld action to a wearable identifying subjects without their awareness. The system would match against over 270 million records in DHS IDENT plus state driver licence databases. ICE agents have already been observed in at least six US states using off-the-shelf Meta Ray-Ban glasses in field operations.

In this domain: Security agencies publish joint guidance on safe adoption of agentic AI systems · EU AI Act Digital Omnibus second trilogue fails to reach agreement; August deadline intact · Detroit police cut facial recognition searches by 91% following tighter governance