More than a dozen Canadian firms have contracts with ICE, Star analysis finds
A Star review of U.S. procurement records shows over a dozen Canadian companies have sold products or services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting privacy and human rights concerns.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
More than a dozen Canadian companies have active or recent contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a Toronto Star analysis of American government procurement databases. Contracts range from software subscriptions and social media tools to armoured vehicles and security staffing, and several are worth millions of U.S. dollars.
The business ties have drawn criticism from human rights advocates and some provincial politicians, who say products and services sold to ICE could be used in ways that violate human rights or enable harmful enforcement actions.
Who is involved
The Star identified multiple Canadian firms in U.S. procurement records. Notable companies include Thomson Reuters, GardaWorld, Roshel and several technology and security suppliers based in Ottawa and British Columbia.
- Thomson Reuters Special Services LLC: contract up to $22 million U.S. for access to a law enforcement investigative database, including license plate reader data.
- Thomson Reuters, additional contracts: up to $4.6 million U.S. for risk mitigation support, and up to $3.5 million U.S. for maritime analysis and subject matter expert support.
- GardaWorld Federal Services: shortlisted for bids up to $138 million U.S.; holds an $8 million U.S. contract for security and correctional staff at a detention facility.
- Roshel (Brampton): contract for 20 Senator armoured personnel carriers, value reported at $8 million U.S.
- JSI (Ottawa): contract up to about $23.4 million U.S. supporting court‑ordered electronic wiretaps and related investigations.
- Hootsuite: listed as the social media management platform under a DHS contract worth up to $2.8 million U.S., via a vendor called Seneca Strategic Partners.
- ICOR Technology Inc. (Ottawa): small contract up to $77,000 U.S. for a 'mini-caliber tactical robot.'
What the contracts cover
Procurement records show the products and services include investigative databases, analytics tools, social media analysis, security and correctional staffing, armoured vehicles, and specialised robotics. Several contracts explicitly reference law enforcement or Homeland Security investigations, and at least one mentions access to license plate reader data.
Some companies frame their work as technical or analytic support rather than surveillance. Hootsuite’s CEO said the platform was used for analysing online social sentiment and not for tracking or monitoring individuals.
What we are watching unfold right now is wrong. Our work with ICE does not involve monitoring or tracking individuals, but rather assists the agency in analysing online social sentiment.
Irina Novoselsky, CEO, Hootsuite
Responses and criticism
Advocates and watchdog groups call any commercial relationship with ICE problematic. They say companies that supply technology, vehicles or services to enforcement agencies can become part of an ecosystem that enables abuses, and they are urging firms to cut ties.
It raises really, really serious concerns that a company doing business with ICE is going to be enabling abuses, and is going to be conducting operations that facilitate those abuses continuing.
Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood, network coordinator, Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability
Karen Hamilton, director of the human rights watchdog Above Ground, said Canadian companies should cease doing business with ICE because the agency has displayed 'obvious signs of human rights abuses.' Political figures have also weighed in. Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles condemned the Roshel contract, and some municipal officials and activists have publicly called for boycotts or divestment where applicable.
Company statements and non-responses
Several companies named in procurement records either declined to comment, referred to policies about not discussing specific government customers, or issued limited statements. Thomson Reuters and GardaWorld did not respond to requests for comment for this article. JSI said it does not comment on specific customer relationships, and that it strictly follows applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
As a matter of policy, we do not comment on specific customer relationships, particularly those involving any government or law enforcement agencies. We operate with integrity and strictly follow all applicable legal, regulatory, and export control requirements.
Statement from JSI
Legal and policy context
Canadian advocates say the country lacks an effective law requiring companies to prevent human rights abuses abroad. Calls for a human rights and environmental due diligence law have intensified, aiming to require companies to identify and mitigate risks in their operations overseas. Experts note that liability for overseas harms can arise, but it depends on the level of a company’s involvement in causing direct harm.
If I were in the shoes of directors or top management in a Canadian company, I know we would have to very carefully consider what interests are at stake and whether we could be associated with the activities of ICE.
Martin Petrin, Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance, York University
Some lawsuits related to corporate conduct abroad can take years to navigate through Canadian courts, and there is growing pressure on Ottawa to adopt legislation that enforces corporate responsibility for human rights and environmental impacts.
What this means for consumers and investors
For consumers and investors, the revelations may affect reputations and purchasing decisions. Shareholders and customers increasingly expect companies to assess downstream risks from government contracts, especially when contracts could implicate human rights or civil liberties.
Advocates say companies should undertake clearer public disclosures about the nature of their government contracts and the safeguards they use to prevent misuse of their products and services.
The Star will continue to monitor procurement records and company responses as debates about corporate responsibility, oversight and immigration enforcement continue.
ImmigrationCorporate accountabilityThomson ReutersGardaWorldHuman rights
