U.S. immigration authorities are turning to smartphones to keep tabs on immigrants and ensure they attend their deportation hearings.
– U.S. authorities have broadly expanded the use of a smartphone app during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure immigrants released from detention will attend deportation hearings, a requirement that advocates say violates their privacy and makes them feel they're not free.
“It’s kind of been shocking how just in a couple of years it has exploded so quickly and is now being used so much and everywhere,” said Jacinta Gonzalez, senior campaign director for the Latino rights organization Mijente. “It’s making it much easier for the government to track a larger number of people.”
Since the pandemic, U.S. immigration authorities have reduced the number of immigrants in detention facilities and touted detention alternatives such as the app. Advocates say immigrants who spent months in detention facilities and were released on bond are being placed on the app when they go to an initial meeting with a deportation officer, and so are parents and children seeking asylum on the southwest border.
Advocates questioned whether monitoring systems matter in these cases, noting someone who wants to avoid court will stop checking in with deportation officers, trash their phone and move, whether on SmartLink or not.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Deportation agents use smartphone app to monitor immigrantsU.S. immigration authorities are turning to smartphones to keep tabs on immigrants and ensure they attend their deportation hearings
Read more »
'The Books That I Wanted To See When I Was Younger': Youth Authors Reflect On Writing About The Immigrant ExperienceWith authors representing eight different countries around the world, the book series was able to highlight stories for immigrant youth, by immigrant youth.
Read more »
Family of man fatally shot by Border Patrol agent in San Ysidro files suitThe family of a man who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in San Ysidro filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday against the agent and the federal government.
Read more »
Here’s why Apple put a powerful iPhone chip in its new Studio DisplayA monitor with the same chip as Apple’s iPhone 11 lineup
Read more »
Apple announces 27-inch 5K Studio Display for $1,599It’s Apple’s first monitor for regular consumers in many years.
Read more »