Sen. Gary Peters wants ICE to explain why it bought spyware that can covertly take control of phones

Key Points:

• Sen. Gary Peters, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is demanding answers from ICE regarding its $2 million purchase of Graphite, a commercial spyware tool capable of covertly accessing phones and personal data.
• Peters raised concerns about potential civil liberties violations and national security risks, noting reports that Graphite has been used to target over 90 journalists and civil society members internationally.
• The senator requested detailed information on whether Graphite has been deployed domestically, who has been targeted, the legal basis for its use, and if collected data has been shared with other entities.
• Peters also sought documentation related to the contract, privacy assessments, and oversight policies, highlighting that prior requests for briefings from DHS and ICE went unanswered.
• ICE has been given until August 7 to respond, but as a Democrat without congressional control, Peters can only request, not compel, compliance; CBS News has reached out to relevant parties for comment.