DHS Border Patrol Uses Secretive 'Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams' for Surveillance

Secretive Predictive Policing Units Revealed

404 Media has uncovered the existence of secretive units within Border Patrol, named Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams (PITT). These units are engaged in analyzing Americans' financial habits and other personal data. The intelligence gathered by PITTs is then shared with local law enforcement agencies.

Operations and Examples

Local police use the PITT intelligence to stop individuals who are not suspected of specific crimes but are deemed by the government to be potentially worth searching. One instance involved a PITT analyzing a man's financial activity before local authorities stopped him for an obstructed license plate and charged him with a DUI. PITTs have been identified in the Spokane Sector, Washington, and the Laredo Sector, Texas.

Concerns Over Probable Cause and Privacy

The practice of predictive policing, especially when it involves generating stops without initial probable cause, is highly controversial. Critics argue that such methods can lead to "parallel construction," where the real reason for a stop is concealed, making it difficult to review and evaluate the system's legality and fairness. This raises significant questions about civil liberties and the Fourth Amendment.

Broader Context of Predictive Policing

Predictive policing is an increasingly adopted strategy by law enforcement, where data like movements and locations are analyzed to identify individuals who might commit crimes, even without current evidence. This report builds on previous findings, including an Associated Press investigation that revealed Border Patrol's use of automatic license plate readers as part of a similar wide-ranging predictive policing program.