The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is exploring the potential use of commercial advertising data to bolster immigration investigations, as indicated by a Request for Information (RFI) issued in January 2026. This initiative has raised alarms among privacy advocates and technology experts, who are concerned about the implications of using personal digital information for government surveillance. The RFI seeks insights from companies that collect consumer data through digital advertising, including location tracking, web browsing patterns, and social media engagement. Critics argue that acquiring such data could allow ICE to sidestep traditional legal requirements for surveillance, leading to broader surveillance of the general population. The proposal may be particularly significant for the large Indian-origin community in the U.S., which includes many professionals on work visas and international students. While ICE has not confirmed targeting legal visa holders, the use of commercial datasets could enable authorities to monitor the movements and behaviors of individuals under immigration scrutiny. This move is part of a broader trend toward data-driven enforcement in immigration policy, raising ongoing debates about privacy rights and government oversight.