Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Colorado have apprehended nine immigrants who had evaded the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) tracking program, as reported by the New York Post. Among those arrested was a 25-year-old Nicaraguan discovered in possession of a firearm and narcotics. Several of the individuals had accumulated between 50 and 100 violations of the program, which mandates electronic monitoring of asylum seekers in the United States.
ICE monitors immigrants through various methods, including ankle or wrist monitors, phone check-ins with voice recognition, and SmartLINK, a mobile app where migrants verify their identities through facial recognition. Despite these measures, some individuals managed to flee the program, such as Diego Ibarra, alleged member of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, and Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan migrant who encouraged others to “invade” the United States.
The ATD program has seen a significant increase in enrollment since 2015, with over 183,000 migrants currently under various forms of monitoring as of April 6. Former ICE Denver Field Office Director John Fabbricatore criticized the program, stating that it has failed to deliver accountability and protect communities. The federal government spends an average of $216,000 per day on technology for the program, in addition to a $2 billion contract with ICE.
While the ICE website reports a 1.3% absconding rate for those in the tracking program, a government watchdog report highlighted discrepancies in escape rate calculations. Between 2014 and 2020, over 54,000 ATD fugitives were recorded nationwide, representing a 17% runaway rate. The Biden administration’s memo issued in September 2021 limited law enforcement actions against non-criminal immigrants who flee the program.
Former ICE chief of staff Jon Feere expressed concerns about the false sense of security provided by the ATD program, emphasizing the importance of preventing unchecked border crossings. The ongoing challenges with monitoring and enforcing accountability within the program raise questions about its effectiveness and the resources devoted to it.
The circumstances surrounding the recent arrests underscore the complexities and shortcomings of immigration monitoring programs in the United States, prompting calls for enhanced measures to ensure compliance and public safety. Despite efforts to track and supervise immigrants under the ATD program, gaps and failures persist, necessitating further scrutiny and potential reforms to address these issues.