U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to gain access to controversial spyware that can hack phones and read private messages. This follows the Trump administration's decision to lift a Biden-era order that had previously blocked the contract. On Saturday, ICE reactivated a contract with Tel Aviv-based Paragon, which had been halted due to a stop work order.

The immigration agency signed a $2 million deal for Paragon's software last September. This technology has reportedly been used to target activists and journalists in Europe. The renewed contract provides ICE with a significant tool in its efforts to enforce immigration laws, particularly as it aims to fulfill President Donald Trump’s commitment to conduct extensive deportations.

Details about the contract's revival were first reported by a newsletter focused on intelligence. Representatives from ICE and Paragon did not respond to requests for comment. John Fleming, executive chairman of Paragon’s U.S. division, previously stated that the company is “deeply committed to following all U.S. laws and regulations.”

Paragon's spyware is designed to infiltrate mobile phones and secretly capture messages sent through encrypted applications like Signal and WhatsApp. The company, co-founded in 2019 by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, markets its technology to governments and law enforcement agencies for combating serious crime.

However, Meta Platforms Inc.'s WhatsApp reported in January that it had detected Paragon's technology being used against activists and journalists in Europe. In Italy, two media organizations filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors, seeking an investigation into the hacking incidents. This controversy led to the cancellation of a contract between Paragon and Italy’s intelligence services, according to reports.

Additionally, a Canadian law enforcement agency is suspected of using the spyware to intercept messages, as noted in a March report by cybersecurity researchers from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab.

Last year, Paragon was acquired by the U.S. private equity firm AE Industrial Partners in a deal valued at up to $900 million. AE plans to merge Paragon with Redlattice, a U.S. cybersecurity firm it owns. Redlattice's website states that it focuses on developing cyber strategies to enhance national security in the digital realm.