VANCOUVER — United States procurement records show that Vancouver tech firm Hootsuite is providing social media services to the Department of Homeland Security.
The emergence of the contracts between the U.S. government and New York-based Seneca Strategic Partners comes amid criticism for the tactics of American immigration officers whose actions fall under Homeland Security control.
A U.S. procurement site shows the contracts, which were first reported by Business in Vancouver, are worth up to US$2.8 million.
It says the contracts started in August 2024 and are scheduled to last two years, with the possibility of a further three-year extension to August 2029.
The deal is for “social media management platform Hootsuite and support services,” although the site does not explain the relationship between Hootsuite and Seneca, which describes itself as a federal government contracting business wholly owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.
Hootsuite, which terminated a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2020 amid staff backlash, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A release posted by the Department of Homeland Security last year says the department will “only use” Hootsuite to manage its social media channels to “improve the delivery of information and services to the general public, while promoting transparency and accountability, as a service for those seeking information about, or services from, the department.”
Hootsuite was founded in 2008 and employs about 1,000 people across the globe.
In 2020, the company’s then chief executive Tom Keiser announced it had axed an ICE contract after a “broad emotional and passionate” reaction from staff.
He did not share why staff were concerned, but said the issue created a divided company and it was not the kind of business he wanted to lead, so he reversed the decision.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security has been at the forefront of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The department says in a statement on Tuesday that it has removed more than 670,000 “illegal aliens” from American communities, and another two million have self-deported.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2026.
The Canadian Press
