SmartLink, the app that the US installs on undocumented immigrants to track them

SmartLink is an app that tracks US immigrants without papers . It is a technological tool that could be compared to the unwanted electronic ankle bracelet, but in exchange, the person who immigrated illegally completely loses their privacy and through this platform they can receive requests at any time, such as a selfie, receive or make a call.

This application is an alternative measure taken by the United States authorities, to have greater control over the thousands of people who are currently in an ongoing immigration process with the possibility of deportation.

However, the numbers have increased, because before the pandemic there were only about 5,000 people who had the duty to use the app, and currently the number amounts to more than 125,000. Some immigrant rights organizations claim that this location data and access to contacts that the app has could allow many more people to be detained.

Why use an app like SmartLink

Imagen - SmartLink: así rastrea EE.UU. a los inmigrantes sin papeles

Using SmartLink is a lighter burden on the budget of the immigration authorities . The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service uses the technology services of the company BI Inc, owned by The GEO Group, which are private prisons and detention centers managed for ICE.

The company points out that this app is “an effective way to track released non-citizens while waiting for their processes to be resolved” but the truth is that it is a cheaper way to deal with immigration problems. SmartLink costs about $4.36 per person per day , while a detention at a facility can cost $140 per person per day at a facility.

However, the debate on the limits for the use of these applications remains open. These apps do not continuously track people, but capture the location at the time that the authorities must contact you . But everything seems not to be so simple, it has been reported that the US immigration services use the received GPS location to be able to detect other people with the same immigration status, but who have not yet been reported.

Via: San Diego Union Tribune