The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expanded the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arsenal by including retina scanning technology. According to NPR, the DHS rewarded a twenty-five million dollar no-bid contract to B12 Technologies for installing retina scanning technology into immigration enforcement operations. The move hands over one thousand five hundred iris scanners and access to the company’s mobile app to the ICE arsenal.
DHS stated the technology helps ICE identify individuals that are the target of immigration enforcement operations. Before the deal, immigration agents took iris scans of individuals at detainment facilities. They can now scan a person’s eyes during enforcement and identify them through accessing the B12 app.
The move reflects a surge in the DHS budget over the course of the last year. With the budget increase, ICE acquired a multitude of new tools for the purpose of immigration enforcement. These tools included facial recognition technology, license plate readers, and location trackers, and now retina scanning technology.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, please contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws and policy updates. In an ever-evolving immigration landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.