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OSINT Framework¶

How We Gather Intelligence¶

What Is OSINT?¶

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of information from publicly available sources. No hacking. No stolen data. No classified information. Everything we use is legally accessible to any person with an internet connection.

This project follows the Bellingcat model of open source investigation, adapted for tracking federal immigration enforcement.

The OSINT Cycle¶

1. Collection¶

Systematic gathering of publicly available information:

Government sources: DOJ press releases, DHS announcements, OIG inspection reports, FOIA responses
News media: National outlets (AP, Reuters, ABC, CBS), local newspapers, investigative journalists
Court records: PACER filings, complaint affidavits, lawsuit documents
Social media: Public posts with verifiable details (not private accounts)
Academic/NGO: Human Rights First, Freedom for Immigrants, ACLU reports

2. Processing¶

Organizing raw information into structured intelligence:

Each death gets a dossier with standardized sections
Timelines are reconstructed from multiple sources
Medical details are extracted and analyzed
Facility histories are cross-referenced

3. Analysis¶

Identifying patterns and connections:

Geographic clusters: Which states/facilities have highest death rates?
Temporal patterns: Seasonal trends, post-policy changes
Corporate accountability: For-profit operator performance
Cause of death patterns: Medical neglect, "suicide," violence
Pipeline mapping: Arrest → detention → deportation routes

4. Verification¶

Every claim is checked against our verification standards.

5. Publication¶

Verified intelligence is published through this site, with full source documentation.

Our Sources¶

Tier 1 — Primary (Official Government)¶

Department of Justice press releases
ICE/CBP official statements
DHS Office of Inspector General reports
Medical examiner reports
Court documents

Weight: Highest reliability for facts (arrests, charges, dates), but government framing is analyzed critically.

Tier 2 — Secondary (Major Media)¶

Wire services (AP, Reuters)
National outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR)
Major newspapers (Washington Post, NY Times, local papers of record)
Investigative outlets (ProPublica, The Intercept)

Weight: High reliability, independent verification of government claims.

Tier 3 — Tertiary (Advocacy/Analysis)¶

Human Rights First
ACLU
Freedom for Immigrants
Academic research
Nonprofit investigative newsrooms (Sahan Journal, etc.)

Weight: Valuable for context and on-ground reporting. Cross-referenced against Tier 1/2.

Public social media posts with verifiable details
Community reports
Witness accounts

Weight: Low reliability on their own. Used to identify leads, then verified against Tier 1-3.

What We Don't Do¶

Hard Limits

No private data access — We never bypass authentication, access private accounts, or use stolen information
No social engineering — We never deceive people to obtain information
No classified information — We never use leaked classified material
No surveillance — We never track individuals' physical movements
No law enforcement cooperation — We never share information with law enforcement

Everything we publish could be found by any person using a search engine and public records. That's the standard.

Tools¶

Web search and content analysis
Public records databases (PACER, state courts)
Government FOIA requests (when applicable)
Satellite imagery (public services)
Flight tracking (ADS-B Exchange, FlightAware)
Social media analysis (public posts only)
Academic databases

Automation¶

Certain intelligence tasks run automatically:

Weekly geographic sweep: All 50 states + 5 territories searched for new incidents
Pattern detection: Automatic alerts for geographic/temporal clusters
Source monitoring: Key government and news sources checked regularly

This automation ensures coverage even when human operators are unavailable.