How has ICE procurement of rifles and tactical gear changed since 2021 and which contractors have received the largest contracts?

1. Big increase in weapons and tactical buys since 2021

Multiple independent analyses and procurement reviews report a sharp uptick in ICE purchases of "small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories" beginning around 2021 and accelerating into 2024–2025, with Popular Information and news outlets finding multi‑million dollar spikes in fiscal-year purchases compared with prior years ^{[3] [1] [2]}. Bloomberg and Lever reporting show enormous late‑fiscal‑year buys in 2025 — nearly $140 million on weapons and ammunition in the final weeks of FY2025 per Bloomberg’s sourcing cited by other outlets, indicating a move from incremental replenishment to large-scale procurement events ^{[2] [7]}.

2. New types of contracts: helmets, sniper systems, and modular training

Reporting documents a move beyond routine sidearms and Tasers into specialized tactical equipment and training: a $49 million award for ballistic helmets and related gear to LionHeart Alliance, purchases of sniper program equipment and "precision fires" justifying no‑bid contracts, and nearly $8 million spent on simulation rounds, junk cars, and model buildings for tactical training at Fort Benning ^{[2] [8] [7]}. Procurement records reviewed by The Lever and others show ICE using both established vendors and niche security firms to supply specialized training infrastructure and sniper capabilities ^{[8] [2]}.

3. Which contractors received the largest documented contracts

Several companies appear repeatedly across reporting as top recipients: ADS Tactical was reported to have been awarded about $53.4 million for sights, silencers, holsters, and tactical gear — a jump from prior years — while LionHeart Alliance received a reported $49 million award for helmets and tactical equipment ^{[1] [2]}. Media outlets also reported a $9.1 million rifle purchase from Geissele Automatics and documented smaller awards to firms like Axon (Tas ers) and United Tactical Systems for less‑lethal munitions (Axon $11.8M; UTS $1.8M cited) ^{[1] [3]}. Separately, large IT and communications contractors that underpin tactical operations — AT&T, Motorola Solutions, and CACI — have multi‑year or large contracts for network, comms, and tactical communications support that were awarded around or since 2021 (AT&T ~$90.7M in 2021; Motorola Solutions $15.6M in 2023; CACI $119.9M) ^{[4] [5]}.

4. New vendors, no‑bid justifications, and “shadow” contractors

Investigations show ICE has tapped a number of contractors with little or no prior federal contracting history for training and weapons support, sometimes using urgent or sole‑source justifications for awards to firms that market “elite” or former‑special‑operations instruction ^{[8] [7]}. Critics and reporting in Truthout, Jacobin, and Lever characterize this as a move toward a more militarized vendor base and question the transparency of no‑bid awards for sniper and special response team capabilities ^{[2] [7] [8]}.

5. Limits of the public record and competing framings

Public procurement databases and investigative outlets provide strong evidence of increased spending and named large awards, but gaps remain: quantities of weapons, full contract scopes, and whether purchases were driven by policy changes, operational needs, or administrative directives are not fully disclosed in the sources reviewed ^{[9] [10]}. Proponents within DHS/ICE could argue that enhanced training, comms, and protective equipment are standard modernization for tactical units; reporting compiled here documents the purchases and vendor names but does not include ICE’s internal operational rationale in full ^{[10] [2]}.