HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) – A new, lighter GPS device similar to a wristwatch to track migrants is becoming increasingly common in immigration courts.
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According to new data from the Syracuse-based Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), the Veri-Watch system administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has grown from a pilot with just 50 participants to nearly 3,000 in the past year University.
The number of these wrist-worn devices pales in comparison to the 155,000 SmartLINK smartphone applications currently issued that track migrants nationwide. However, the TRAC data shows that there is a new trend emerging in courts – particularly those in South Texas – to enact this new tracking technology.
(TRAC graphic)
Nearly 500 of these wrist devices were issued by U.S. immigration courts in Harlingen, Texas, TRAC reports. The numbers published nationwide have risen to over 800 since the beginning of May.
The change comes as criticism of SmartLINK has increased due to false reports that the agency is issuing fully functional smartphones to migrants.
A migrant woman shows off a government-issued cell phone with an installed SmartLINK app that tracks her location and only allows her to communicate with U.S. immigration authorities at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, June 21, 2022. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report File Photo)
“ICE’s increasing use of VeriWatch is reflected across the country,” TRAC says.
According to Harlingen, Seattle and Los Angeles each handed out more than 360 of the devices last year.
In total, ICE is currently monitoring over 184,000 migrants through the agency's Alternatives to Detention programs. Devices used for monitoring include the SmartLINK phone app, phone reporting, VeriWatch, and GPS ankle monitoring.
VeriWatch appears to use the technology of GPS ankle monitors, without the bulky and cumbersome hardware that migrant advocates say makes it difficult for asylum seekers to live with and, especially, attracts attention in public.
A migrant family boarded a taxi en route to the airport in McAllen, Texas, on June 24, 2021, after being released by DHS officials. Some released migrants will be placed in an alternatives-to-detention monitoring program, which may include ankle monitors and SMARTLink phone monitoring. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report File Photo)
“These wrist-worn GPS monitoring devices would complement existing ATD capabilities in a less intrusive manner for non-citizens who qualify for the non-detention list and increase compliance for participants going through the immigration process,” said Corey Price, Executive Associate Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations said in April 2023 when announcing the new technology and pilot program.
The wrist-worn devices enable location monitoring, facial matching and have messaging functions. It's similar to a smartwatch, “but it cannot be used for any function other than compliance with immigration-related activities,” ICE says.
The watches are made by BI Inc. of Boulder, Colorado and weigh just 2.3 ounces. The devices have a distance detection algorithm that uses proximity and other sensors to detect when the device is picked up. It can store location points for seven days even without a cellular connection, and the data is retained even if the battery runs out. It also features an LCD touchscreen, speakers and alarm and is available in English and Spanish, according to BI Inc.
“ICE’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs are designed to ensure compliance with conditions of release and provide critical case management services to non-detained noncitizens,” the agency’s website states.
The agency says ATD is more cost-effective than detaining migrants.
According to ICE, ATD costs about $8 per day to administer, compared to $150 per day for detention.
The SmartLINK cell phone app has been widely used across the country for several years, but has drawn criticism and numerous erroneous reports that the agency is handing out smartphones to migrants as they cross the border.
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The app is just that and can only facilitate immigration-related communications between the migrant and ICE officers. The agency sends notifications of upcoming immigration court dates. Migrants can also upload and send documents to case specialists and officials, who can message each other directly. According to ICE, migrants can use the app to search a database to find nonprofit service providers in their area, such as clothing and food banks.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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