Boulder company makes ankle monitors for ICE

BOULDER — BI Inc., a Boulder-based subsidiary of the private prison giant Geo Group, is playing a key role in the Trump administration’s growing immigration surveillance network by manufacturing the GPS-enabled ankle monitors now being required for thousands of immigrants under new directives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to The Denver Post, the devices, assembled at the company’s facility at 6265 Gunbarrel Ave. Suite B, are part of ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program, which monitors nearly 183,000 migrants awaiting immigration proceedings. More than 25,000 active participants in the program wear ankle monitors as of July, but ICE is now directing agents to place ankle monitors on nearly all participants “whenever possible,” except for pregnant women, who may be issued wrist devices instead.

ICE skipped the competitive business process and recently extended BI’s immigrant-monitoring contract for another year. Geo Group, which contributed to the Trump presidential campaign, is ramping up production in anticipation of tracking “potentially millions” of immigrants.

Share on Facebook on LinkedIn