Tech Force touts 200 hires

Summary

The Daily Scoop Podcast: "Tech Force touts 200 hires" (May 28, 2026)

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, hosted by Billy Mitchell, delivers the latest updates from federal technology and workforce trends. The main focus is twofold: progress and controversies around the Trump administration’s Tech Force hiring initiative and a major technology procurement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for iris recognition devices. The episode provides in-depth details for government leaders and professionals tracking digital transformation and recruitment in public service.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tech Force Program Progress (00:20 – 02:50)

• Hiring Milestones:

  • 200 hires have been made so far under the Trump administration’s Tech Force initiative, with onboarding beginning in recent weeks.
  • "He estimated about 10 people have been onboarded and expanded, expects that to be over 100 next month." [Billy Mitchell, 00:35]
  • The program’s goal is to reach 300–500 onboarded staff by the end of summer, with a broader target of 1,000 hires.

• Onboarding Process:

  • Although hiring is moving quickly, onboarding within the federal system is slower due to procedural hurdles.
  • Quote: "Going from hiring to onboarding in the government can take a little bit of time. We're moving as fast as we can."
    — Tech Force Director Kevin Henneken, [summarized by Billy Mitchell, 00:55]

• Recruitment Strategy:

  • Centralized at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
  • Focus on bringing in mostly younger workers for two-year stints, offering the option to remain in government or exit to the private sector later.
  • As of mid-April, OPM had circulated over 700 candidate names across agencies.

• Industry Borrowing and Legal Novelty:

  • The program is uniquely, and somewhat controversially, "borrowing" several management-level workers from industry who will serve in federal roles while on unpaid leave from their companies.
  • These "borrowed" workers are allowed to retain unvested restricted stock units, per legal confirmation from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.
  • The first such hire will start next week at OPM, though their company affiliation was not disclosed.

2. ICE’s $25 Million Iris Recognition Tech Boost (02:50 – 04:22)

• Contract Details:

  • ICE’s new contract with Bi2 Technologies increases its spend on identity verification technology more than fivefold compared to the previous year.
  • Last year’s $4.6M contract (Sept 2025–Sept 2026); this year's new award tops $25M (June 2026–May 2027).
  • "ICE's contract … surpasses the $25 million mark. The Massachusetts based venture capital backed vendor will supply ICE agents with an additional batch of 1,570 iris scanning devices." [Billy Mitchell, 03:15]

• Technology Features and Coverage:

  • Devices connect wirelessly to Bi2’s system with access to over 5 million booking records from 47 states.
  • The tech is certified by the FBI and integrates with federal and local law enforcement databases (including Automated Fingerprint Identification, sex offender tracking, etc.).
  • The system is "multimodal," including iris, fingerprint, and facial recognition on a single mobile platform, enhancing resilience if one modality is compromised.

• Data Security Concerns:

  • Some concern remains over the vendor’s FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) compliance.
  • Bi2 is required to submit a draft security plan to address data strategy and their path to FedRAMP certification.
  • Quote: "There are concerns about the company's ability to meet FedRAMP requirements, a point that DHS acknowledged in procurement documents...requiring the vendor to submit a draft security plan..." [Billy Mitchell, 04:00]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On federal onboarding:
  "Going from hiring to onboarding in the government can take a little bit of time. We're moving as fast as we can."
  — Tech Force Director Kevin Henneken (relayed by Billy Mitchell, 00:55)

• On the uniqueness of the Tech Force approach:
  "Uniquely, and somewhat controversially, the program has also set out to borrow several management level workers directly from industry partners to be part of the tech force."
  — Billy Mitchell, 01:50

• On ICE’s justification for new technology:
  "The multimodal approach, DHS added, keeps the system up and running even if one sensor, such as Iris recognition is compromised."
  — Billy Mitchell, 03:56

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Important Timestamps

• 00:20 – 02:50: Tech Force hiring update, onboarding woes, and industry borrowing strategy explanation
• 03:00 – 04:22: Deep dive into ICE’s $25 million biometrics contract, device capabilities, and security concerns

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Summary Takeaway:
This episode captures the federal government’s efforts to speed up technical hiring, experiment with innovative industry partnerships, and deploy advanced biometrics—while highlighting systemic challenges in onboarding and data security regulatory compliance.

For more context or continuous federal tech coverage, listeners are advised to visit FedScoop.com.

Transcript

[A]

Today on the Daily Scoop podcast from the Scoop News Group, the Trump administration's tech force touts 200 hires and ICE sets a $25 million boost for iris recognition technology. It's Thursday, May 28, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast, where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm your host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. And now let's dive into the day's top headlines. Workers hired under the Trump administration's techforce program are gradually making their way into the government. About 200 people have been hired so far, and onboarding began over the past couple of weeks, tech Force Director Kevin Henneken said on Capitol Hill Wednesday. He estimated about 10 people have been onboarded and expanded, expects that to be over 100 next month. The goal, he said, is to have about 300 to 500 workers by the end of the summer. Henneken said going from hiring to onboarding in the government can take a little bit of time. We're moving as fast as we can. Henneken's remarks come about five months after the Trump administration announced the techforce program as its solution for filling the federal government's tech needs. The program is centralized at the Office of Personnel Management and aims to hire mostly young workers for two year stints. After that, the recruits can choose to try to stay in government or leave for the private sector. As of mid April, FedScoop reported, OPM was floating the names of more than 700 candidates to agencies via three shared certificates. In total, the program aims to hire roughly 1,000 workers. Uniquely, and somewhat controversially, the program has also set out to borrow several management level workers directly from industry partners to be part of the tech force. Those workers will take an unpaid leave of absence to serve their roles and will also be allowed to retain earned, but not yet vested restricted stock units while in government service, an arrangement that has been blessed by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Per Heneken. The first such hire is expected to start next week. Henneken wasn't able to share what company the individual is coming from, but said they would be working at OPM. And now moving on to other news, U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement is spending more than five times what it did last year on a single vendor's identity verification technology, according to procurement documents published this month. ICE's contract with Bi2 Technologies from September 24th of 2025 to September 23rd, 2026 totaled $4.6 million. While the new award set to run from June 21st, 2026 to May 31st of 2027, surpasses the $25 million mark. The Massachusetts based venture capital backed vendor will supply ICE agents with an additional batch of 1,570 iris scanning devices. The handheld devices are wireless and connect to Bi2 Technologies inmate identification and recognition system, which provides access to 5 million plus booking records, including arrest and incarceration data from 47 states. The Department of Homeland Security said in its justification for the sole source contract that the company's IRIS technology has been certified by the FBI and can be integrated with existing jail and records management systems, the Automation fingerprint identification system and sex offender trafficking systems, adding that the multimodal system integrates multiple biometric technologies, including iris fingerprint and facial recognition, into a single mobile device. The multimodal approach, DHS added, keeps the

[B]

system up and running even if one

[A]

sensor, such as Iris recognition is compromised. The vendor has also incorporated features that enable agents to search through driver's license and vehicle plate information. However, there are concerns about the company's ability to meet FedRAMP requirements, a point that DHS acknowledged in procurement documents posted last year, requiring the vendor to submit a draft security plan explaining the data Strategy to protect ICE's proprietary information and outlining its work toward FedRAMP certification.

[B]

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[C]

thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast platforms. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. adam Butler and Carlin Fisher help put the show together and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back tomorrow with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host, as always, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.