President-elect Donald Trump is set to assume office in January, bringing with him significant technological resources aimed at enforcing his immigration agenda, which includes a commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration. The Biden administration’s current strategies, already utilising advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), offer a glimpse into the tools that the new administration may leverage for its purposes.
An October letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlights the integration of AI in decision-making processes regarding immigration enforcement. Authored by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen, the letter shares insights into a system that includes a scoring algorithm known as the “Hurricane Score.” This score, which ranges from 1 to 5, evaluates the likelihood that an immigrant facing removal proceedings will fail to comply with supervision protocols, thus providing a risk assessment for the DHS.
Hysen explained that the scoring system does not autonomously dictate detention or deportation decisions; instead, it serves to inform ICE officials' decision-making by incorporating a variety of factors, including an individual's immigration violations and their duration within the system. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen noted.
Accompanying these automated tools is SmartLINK, a mobile application that incorporates facial recognition and tracking technology. This app collects geolocation data to monitor nearly 200,000 undocumented immigrants enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, allowing them to reside in the U.S. while their cases are pending. Critics, including immigrant rights advocate group Just Futures Law, have raised concerns regarding the fairness and privacy implications of such technology, especially the ways in which algorithms may influence immigration outcomes.
In response to these criticisms, a spokesperson for DHS reaffirmed the agency's dedication to transparency and the protection of civil rights, adding that AI outputs are not the sole basis for any enforcement actions. However, it was acknowledged that certain security needs might prompt waivers of established guidelines.
The socio-political landscape is complicated further by Trump’s stated intentions to reverse Biden's policies, including those governing AI usage in immigration enforcement. Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, indicated the incoming administration's readiness to leverage all available governmental resources for what they describe as the "largest deportation operation" in U.S. history.
There remain logistical hurdles to executing mass deportation, including accommodation for detained individuals. The anticipated integration of AI-powered surveillance might serve as a solution for tracking large numbers of people. During Trump’s previous term, a public record showed that GPS data from SmartLINK was used to arrest over 40 undocumented individuals in Virginia.
Private prison firms have also expressed optimism regarding future opportunities under the incoming Trump administration. The GEO Group’s executive chairman, George Christopher Zoley, suggested a need for additional funding to bolster border security and interior enforcement, cementing the company's role within these emerging immigration strategies. Zoley asserted that the GEO program could dramatically scale up its participation numbers, estimating potential enrolment in the hundreds of thousands.
Damon Hininger, CEO of CoreCivic Inc., similarly alluded to the potential changes in immigrant monitoring programs, highlighting the increasing demand for innovative solutions to enhance enforcement outcomes.
As the incoming administration prepares to re-evaluate existing immigration practices in the United States, the intersection of AI and immigration enforcement continues to draw attention, with significant implications for the affected populations and broader societal dynamics.
Source: Noah Wire Services