The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials who are carrying out Donald Trump's bigoted anti-immigrant crackdown may soon have access to previously banned spy tools that foreign governments have used to target journalists and political dissidents. The Trump administration this week reactivated a contract with Paragon Solutions, a spyware company that had its federal contract put on hold last year due to restrictions the Biden administration imposed on the use of commercial spyware that had a record of being deployed in repressive ways abroad.

Paragon's technology allows users to surveil targets through various methods, such as hacking encrypted message platforms or turning targets' phones into listening devices. While Paragon has positioned itself as a more ethical version of NSO Group, the company drew criticism this year after traces of its powerful Graphite tool were found on the devices of Italian journalists, advocates for migrants, and associates of Pope Francis.

The Italian government has acknowledged responsibility for some but not all of the breaches. In response, Paragon said it had stopped working with Italian government agencies. Meanwhile, Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon over allegations that the latter had targeted dozens of WhatsApp users, including journalists.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to MSNBC's request for comment. However, Paragon's executive chairman previously told Bloomberg News that the company is "deeply committed to following all US laws and regulations."

The potential for the Trump administration — which has threatened people who report on ICE's activities, has condemned groups that provide aid to immigrants and has openly targeted immigrants for their political views — to wield anything even resembling Paragon's Graphite technology against U.S. residents is raising alarms. This quote from Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon just about sums up those concerns: 'ICE is already shredding due process and ruining lives in its rush to lock up kids, cooks and firefighters who pose no threat to anyone,'

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) wrote in an email, adding that he had asked ICE for a briefing. 'I'm extremely concerned about how ICE will use Paragon's spyware to further trample on the rights of Americans and anyone who Donald Trump labels as an enemy.' This sentiment is shared by many experts and observers who are worried about what this technology could mean for the future of civil rights under Trump.