A US-based vehicle manufacturer that provides commercial and specialized vehicles to Israeli occupation authorities and US police and immigration agencies.
Ford Motor Company, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures vehicles under the Ford and Lincoln brands. It is the third-largest automaker in the U.S. as of 2023.
Israeli police and military agencies routinely use Ford vehicles to maintain Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to Who Profits. The company’s vehicles are armored and retrofitted for the Israeli military by companies like AM General, Oshkosh, and Plasan.
In 2023, the Israeli military began using Plasan’s SandCat light armored vehicle, a “multi-mission” vehicle based on the Ford Super Duty F-350 XL pickup truck. These vehicles are, according to Who Profits, suited for combat in built-up areas and are used to transport soldiers. On Dec. 6, 2023, during Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza, a U.S. cargo plane delivered SandCat vehicles to Israel. These vehicles are also used by the Israeli military in its raids of the occupied West Bank and by the Israel Border Police in its patrolling of Israel’s borders.
In 2016, Israeli military company Elbit Systems converted Ford F-350 trucks into the Segev Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle, an autonomous vehicle specifically designed to surveil and patrol the barrier around Gaza and to maintain Israel's blockade. In 2017, Elbit armed the Segev with a remotely operated “advanced weapon system.”
Previously, the Israeli military used the Wolf armored personnel carriers, based on Ford F-550 trucks. They were initially deployed in 2006 and became one of the main vehicles used by the Israeli military in occupied Palestine. As of 2019, they are gradually being replaced by a vehicle called the Panther, which is based on an Oshkosh truck.
Use by US Prison and Police Agencies
Ford manufactures several vehicles designed specifically for law enforcement and prison authorities: the F-150 Police Responder pickup truck; Police Interceptor Utility SUV; Transit Prisoner Transport van; and several special service vehicles, including the Expedition/Max and F-150 Lightning Pro. Special features for these vehicles include increased speed and safety mechanisms for police pursuits, ballistic door panels, expanded off-road capabilities, and technologies designed for compatibility with police equipment.
Ford supplies some of these vehicles to state and federal prison agencies. Between 2008 and August 2024, the Federal Bureau of Prisons held contracts worth at least $4.3 million with Ford. The agency also purchases Ford and Lincoln vehicles; K9 kits for the F-150; and related equipment and repair services from third-party vendors. As reported by Worth Rises, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has purchased hundreds of vehicles through Ford dealerships.
Use by US Immigration Authorities
Ford is a major vehicle vendor for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Border Patrol agents use Ford Transit-350 and Ford E-350 Super Duty vans, modified with interior metal doors made by American Aluminum, to detain immigrants. Additionally, some Ford vehicles used by U.S. immigration authorities are equipped with additional surveillance tools and other technologies. For example, Benchmark Electronics’ Mobile Video Surveillance Systems (MVSS), which CBP has deployed along the U.S.–Mexico border, are installed on Ford F-150 pickup trucks.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses prison labor to modify Ford vehicles for agency-specific use. Federal Prison Industries, the federal prison labor program known as UNICOR, orders Ford vehicles and uses incarcerated labor to alter them for the government’s requirements. In 2017, for example, DHS awarded UNICOR a $3.4 million contract to “procure and retrofit” 90 Ford F-150 K-9 vehicles for Transportation Security Administration (TSA).