ICE and HSI Plan to Spend up to $100 Million over the Next Five Years on Cellebrite
Why It Matters
The contract bolsters DHS’s ability to extract digital evidence across platforms, enhancing investigations but also intensifying debates over privacy and surveillance.
Key Takeaways
- •DHS to award $100 million, five‑year contract to Cellebrite.
- •Cellebrite tools extract data from phones, tablets, and UAVs.
- •Agency cites Cellebrite as most used forensic tool in HSI.
- •FedRAMP High authorization achieved, expanding federal cloud use.
- •Deployment includes high‑profile cases like Trump rally shooter investigation.
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security announced a five‑year, indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity contract with Cellebrite, capping spend at $100 million. The agreement, expected to be awarded later this year, formalizes a partnership that already powers Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations with digital‑forensics capabilities.
Cellebrite’s suite extracts data from smartphones, tablets and, increasingly, unmanned aerial vehicles. DHS officials describe it as the most widely deployed forensic tool within HSI, and the vendor now serves roughly 7,000 public and private customers. The contract follows Cellebrite’s recent FedRAMP High authorization, secured with DOJ sponsorship after an 18‑month review.
The tools have already featured in high‑profile cases, including the Secret Service’s effort to access the phone of the man who shot former President Donald Trump at a 2024 rally. Such deployments illustrate the agency’s reliance on rapid data extraction to support national‑security investigations.
By locking in a multi‑year, high‑value deal, DHS strengthens its digital‑evidence arsenal, potentially accelerating casework while raising questions about oversight, privacy and the expanding reach of surveillance technologies.
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