DHS funding package pours millions into migrant surveillance

The House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill for Department of Homeland Security funding Tuesday that would allocate millions toward technologies for surveilling immigrants.

The proposal, passed through the Democratic-controlled committee on a 33-24 party-line vote, would allocate $475 million to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the agency’s Alternatives To Detention (ATD) program, well above what the Biden administration requested in its 2022 budget.

The program has drawn criticism for expanding the number of immigrants under ICE’s supervision, with detractors saying it has caused them physical and emotional harm.

Individuals in the ATD are subject to unscheduled visits, tracked by ankle monitors and required to do check-ins with agents using voice or facial recognition systems, according to a recent report by the Just Futures Law Center and Mijente.

The funding bill also provides millions in cybersecurity funds, with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency set to get almost $400 million above its fiscal year 2020 funding.