A Honduran immigrant in the United States was ordered to use a government-issued app as part of an immigration surveillance program in 2022. By taking a selfie weekly through the app, he avoided detention and obtained a work permit. However, during a routine update at an immigration office, he was handcuffed and taken to a detention center. The app was created by Geo Group, a company that also supplies digital tools for immigrant surveillance.
President Trump’s deportation efforts are assisted by Geo Group’s technology, with more than 30,000 arrests made in the first 50 days of his administration. The company has contracts worth millions of dollars to track immigrants. Despite criticism, the program is seen as a cost-effective way to monitor immigrants facing deportation.
Geo Group’s technology has been glitchy and expensive, with each check-in costing the government around $1. Employees of the company often struggled to monitor hundreds of immigrants simultaneously in various locations, leading to delays and penalties. Critics warn that the monitoring system could lead to deeper surveillance of immigrant communities.
Efforts to modify the program and open contracts to rival bids have been blocked by Geo Group’s lobbying and political connections. The company’s stock price has surged under the Trump administration, despite concerns about the effectiveness and ethics of the surveillance program. The use of surveillance technology for immigration enforcement continues to raise questions about privacy and civil rights.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
