In 2022, a Venezuelan migrant crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, apprehended by Border Patrol in Del Rio, Texas. He was given a smartphone with an app called SmartLINK to track his location and identity while he waited for his immigration court date. Transitioning off SmartLINK is required before going to immigration court, a cost-effective alternative to detention for migrants deemed low risk. ICE has monitored nearly 780,000 migrants through the app as of April 2024, with migrants compliant with check-ins often transitioning off after 14 to 18 months, even though immigration court proceedings can last years. Despite challenges in reporting the app’s effectiveness, ICE continues to use it as a tool for monitoring migrants.
Research professor Austin Kocher notes that the effectiveness of SmartLINK depends on its intended goal, such as ensuring migrants attend their court hearings. Expanding access to legal representation may serve a similar purpose as the app. Migrants with attorneys have a 99% compliance rate. Those who fail to check in or respond to ICE agents through SmartLINK are considered absconders, with their cases handed over to fugitive units for further action. ICE Assistant Director for Enforcement Removal Operations, Tom Giles, points to the low absconder rate for migrants on SmartLINK as evidence of the app’s effectiveness, with a rate under 10% for the fiscal year.
The Venezuelan migrant who crossed the Rio Grande now lives near the U.S. Capitol, with his case for asylum dismissed. He hopes for approval of Temporary Protected Status, which does not grant lawful permanent resident status but would allow him to remain in the U.S. He dreams of launching a restaurant business, learning English, and calling Washington, D.C. his permanent home. He urges lawmakers to focus on creating better laws to address immigration issues rather than opposing immigration.
ICE launched SmartLINK in 2018 as part of the Alternatives to Detention program to monitor migrants deemed low risk. The app tracks migrants with GPS and facial recognition software to confirm identity. Migrants are required to check-in weekly until they transition off the app to attend immigration court. Despite the challenges in reporting the app’s effectiveness due to the gap between being removed from the app and case resolution, ICE considers it a valuable tool for monitoring migrants. The goal of the app is to ensure migrants attend their immigration court hearings, with potential alternatives such as increasing access to legal representation for compliance.
