EPIC Joins Coalition to Oppose New Bill Authorizing DHS & ICE Surveillance of Shoppers 

EPIC joined a coalition of more than 130 organizations to send a letter to the Senate urging it to reject the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA). CORCA would drastically expand DHS’s and ICE’s footprint in domestic law enforcement and authorize a sweeping new surveillance program aimed at the American public without meaningful restraint. The coalition, led by the Vera Institute of Justice, was composed of more than 130 immigration rights, civil and human rights, criminal justice, and community organizations.  

CORCA was introduced in 2025 by Representative David Joyce (R-OH). While the bill is nominally about addressing rampant retail crime (a widely disputed trend), CORCA in fact creates a massive public-private surveillance network in DHS and authorizes sweeping data disclosures to the agency. The bill also entrenches the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in domestic law enforcement by authorizing the agency to investigate domestic retail theft. Despite the grave risks to privacy and civil liberties, the bill lacks meaningful protections. After the House passed the bill in May, CORCA currently sits with the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.  

EPIC joins the coalition in strong opposition to the bill. EPIC has a 30-year history of combatting runaway surveillance by corporations and law enforcement, particularly by DHS. We need your support.