| The Bureau of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement Detention and Removal Program unveiled a
pilot program in its Florida Field Office that uses Electronic Monitoring
Devices (EMD’s). These devices will help facilitate alternatives
to the traditional detention methodology, allowing individuals to
remain with family while attending the immigration proceedings.
This new pilot program uses the EMD’s in the form of ankle
bracelets. These ankle bracelets help to monitor aliens who are
out on bond while they await their hearings before an Immigration
Judge or while an appeal of a removal order is pending. Candidates
for this program are determined on a case-by-case basis. The devices
will be used only on non-violent, low-risk cases.
For many years, other corrections departments and enforcement agencies
throughout the United States have used EMD’s in some form,
or variety. Their use by the ICE Detention and Removal Program is
seen as one of several methods under consideration to maximize government
resources while ensuring offenders appear at immigration proceedings.
“ICE Detention and Removal Program is taking steps to balance
our mandate for effective law enforcement techniques while ensuring
the public safety,” said Anthony Tangeman, ICE Director for
the Office of Detention and Removal Operations. “This program
will evaluate and correct the appearance rates for immigration proceedings
in ICE’s mission to enforce the Immigration Act.”
ICE Deportation Officers will evaluate potential candidates currently
in detention to determine if they are eligible to participate in
this pilot program.
This program will become part of the national Intensive Supervision
Program (ISP) that is being designed by ICE to control cases that
are not in detention. Currently, other pilot sites are in Detroit
and Anchorage, with a pilot population of approximately 60 cases.
The Miami pilot program will eventually monitor 100 cases in the
Southern Florida area.
The program in Florida will be tested for an initial six months,
at which time the results will be analyzed to determine if the program
is effective.
Source: AILA Infonet
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