President Donald Trump’s administration is utilizing a variety of advanced technologies to track, categorize, and surveil immigrants in the United States. According to a report by the New York Times, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Citizen and Immigration Services have spent $7.8 billion on immigration technologies from 263 different companies since 2020. These technologies include biometric tracking, location tracking, rapid DNA testing tools, and investigative tools that can search through emails and text messages on locked phones.
Immigration attorney Marina Shepelsky stated that four groups of immigrants are being targeted in Trump’s mass deportations, including those with criminal convictions, a deportation order from a judge, those who entered the country under the Biden administration, and those in the U.S. unlawfully without status. The Department of Homeland Security is utilizing AI technology to comb through immigration records, cross-reference data, and assign individuals a “hurricane score” to determine their likelihood of fleeing immigration proceedings.
While AI technology can streamline the immigration process and help target immigrants who have committed serious crimes, there are also concerns about systemic biases and ethical implications. Despite the potential benefits of using technology in border security and citizenship processes, the intent behind its use is crucial. The Trump administration’s wide-reaching deportation efforts highlight the importance of policy decisions and the ethical considerations surrounding technology use in immigration enforcement.
Technology is likely to continue playing a significant role in Trump’s immigration policies and other parts of his early administration agenda. The choice lies in how these technologies are utilized and the impact they have on individuals and communities affected by immigration enforcement actions.
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