Key facts
- ICE is currently tracking nearly 54,000 immigrants using GPS-enabled ankle monitors.
- This number has risen sharply from 17,000 immigrants wearing the devices early last year.
- The Geo Group, which operates ICE's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), reported the figures.
- A shift from less intensive surveillance methods to ankle monitors has increased revenues for The Geo Group.
- Immigration advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the "ankle monitors for all" policy.
- The Geo Group invested $16 million to increase its inventory of ankle monitoring devices.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is significantly expanding its use of GPS-enabled ankle monitors, with nearly 54,000 immigrants currently being tracked. This marks a substantial increase from the 17,000 individuals monitored with these devices in early 2025. The surge is attributed to a strategic shift within ICE's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), managed by BI Inc, a subsidiary of the private prison corporation The Geo Group.
Geo Group executives highlighted on a recent earnings call that a large number of participants have been moved from less intensive surveillance methods, such as phone check-ins, to ankle monitors. The company pitches these devices as a "high-security level of monitoring," which has directly boosted Geo Group's revenues due to the higher cost per monitor compared to other surveillance technologies. ICE pays slightly over $2 per day for each ankle monitor, while the SmartLink app, which uses facial recognition and location tracking, costs about $0.96 per enrolled immigrant.
According to a memo obtained by The Washington Post, ICE agents were directed in June 2025 to transition more ISAP participants to ankle monitors. This policy has drawn criticism from immigration advocacy groups, who filed a class action lawsuit in June alleging that the "ankle monitors for all" approach imposes continuous, real-time GPS monitoring without individualized justification. The lawsuit claims individuals are subjected to constant surveillance without meaningful review or opportunity to challenge these conditions, affecting vulnerable populations like pregnant women who have reportedly been fitted with smart watches.
Evan Benz, managing attorney at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, stated that ICE has offered no justification for this policy, suggesting it aims to make daily life harder for immigrants while increasing profits for private prison companies. In anticipation of increased demand, Geo Group began investing in its ankle monitor inventory at the start of 2025, allocating $16 million to manufacture enough devices to potentially scale up federal government utilization by hundreds of thousands to millions of participants.
While the company's predictions regarding the increased use of ankle monitors are materializing, investors have expressed concerns about the lack of overall growth in ISAP participation numbers. Geo Group had previously anticipated the Trump administration's immigration agenda would lead to a surge, potentially surpassing previous peaks. Executives remain optimistic that recent policy shifts could increase the number of individuals subject to immigration enforcement, leading to a dramatic increase in ISAP in the coming year. The program, operated by BI Inc since 2004, also includes other monitoring methods like smart watches and smartphone apps, though reports from participants indicate issues with the ankle monitors themselves, including overheating and physical discomfort, with limited government oversight.