French IT services giant Capgemini is confronting escalating scrutiny regarding a substantial, long-running contract held by its US subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions (CGS), with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agreement centers on providing data-driven location and tracking services, known as 'skip tracing,' to support ICE enforcement actions, according to reports from several French media outlets.
The framework agreement reportedly has a ceiling exceeding $365 million, with nearly $4.8 million already committed under the terms revealed by independent media. Contractors utilize government data combined with commercial records and physical observation to confirm addresses, a process that US media suggested involves private contractors paid for locating immigrants.
Capgemini Group CEO Aiman Ezzat stated publicly that senior management only recently learned of the contract through public sources and asserted that the deal is not currently being executed. However, investigative reporting by French outlet Les Jours indicates that CGS’s relationship with ICE dates back nearly two decades, covering areas from detention capacity modeling to deportation logistics.
Data from USAspending.gov reportedly shows that 65% of contracts awarded to the company by US federal agencies were with ICE, suggesting deep operational integration. A former senior ICE official told Les Jours that the agency has become "essential" to certain system components, making the contractor difficult to replace.
This deep integration has prompted swift political reaction in France, where the government maintains a partial stake in Capgemini. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure urged the firm to provide "extremely transparent" clarification on the nature of these activities.
Unions have also condemned the arrangement, with the CGT calling for the immediate cessation of all collaboration with ICE, arguing the work contradicts the company’s stated corporate values. Capgemini has scheduled an extraordinary board meeting to address the intensifying domestic and international pressure.
The situation underscores the complex ethical and operational challenges European firms face when engaging with sensitive US security and enforcement agencies. The outcome of the board review may set a significant precedent for future corporate engagement in this sector.
