ICE PLANS TO MONITOR MORE THAN 180,000 IMMIGRANTS WITH ANKLE BRACELETS, REPORT SAYS. (PHOTO).

 ICE plans to monitor more than 180,000 immigrants with ankle bracelets, report says

ICE plans to significantly increase its use of electronic monitoring for immigrants, expanding from about 24,000 currently fitted with GPS ankle monitors to roughly 183,000, according to recent reports. This expansion is part of ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program, which allows migrants to remain outside detention centers while their cases are processed, often requiring regular check-ins with courts and immigration officials. Under the new guidelines, most adults in the program will be required to wear ankle monitors, while pregnant women will use GPS wrist trackers instead.

While electronic monitoring might seem preferable to detention, the devices have been criticized for causing physical discomfort, including bruising and rashes, and for their unreliable battery life. The program is managed by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company GEO Group, which has a history in electronic tracking technology. Despite the growing reliance on ankle monitors, many participants also use SmartLINK, a smartphone app that verifies identity through facial recognition. The increased demand for monitors has raised concerns about whether GEO Group can meet the scale ICE desires, potentially opening the door for other vendors. The expansion aligns with political priorities favoring stricter immigration enforcement, which has benefited private prison companies financially in recent years.