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US News

Migrants released at border tracked with phones: White House

By
Steven Nelson
Published April 7, 2022
Updated April 7, 2022, 11:49 p.m. ET

The White House didn’t deny Wednesday that US border officials are giving cellphones to some suspected illegal immigrants — arguing it could make them easier to track after they are released into the US even though they can be easily ditched, unlike ankle monitors.

“We need to take steps to ensure that we know where individuals are and we can track and we can check in with them,” press secretary Jen Psaki said at her daily briefing.

It’s unclear how many phones are being distributed or what models are included. Government-subsidized cellphones can become a touchy political issue — such as in 2012 when a viral video depicted a low-income woman boasting of the free “Obamaphone” she received.

Psaki claimed that the phones are a monitoring tool and are not intended as a perk for those suspected of illegally entering the country.

“The alternatives to detention programs… has three unique forms of technology to monitor participants enrolled in the program,” Psaki said. “Telephonic, which is one of them, uses a participant’s voice to create a biometric voice print during the enrollment process.  And when the participant has a check-in call, their voice is compared to the voice print.

Asylum seeking migrants from Cuba look at their cell phones after being released from immigration detention in a shelter run by Colores United.
US border officials are giving cellphones to some suspected illegal immigrants in order to track them, the White House said. REUTERS/Paul Ratje
Migrants expelled from the U.S. and sent back to Mexico under Title 42, use their phones at the Paso del Norte International border bridge.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized that the cellphones will be used as a monitoring tool. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez
An asylum seeking migrant shows the phone he was given to take photos of himself for check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a shelter run by Colores United
An asylum-seeking migrant uses SmartLink on the phone he was given to take photos of himself for check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. REUTERS/Paul Ratje

“SmartLink, which is another option, enables participant monitoring via smartphone or tablet using facial-matching technology to establish identity. And Global Positioning System monitoring is of a participant’s location and movement history, using satellite technology through an ankle bracelet.”

Psaki concluded, “This is all part of our effort, as individuals come into the United States and individuals who are entering who will proceed to immigration proceedings, to monitor and track where they are.”