Boulder Company Supplies GPS Ankle Monitors Used in Immigration Enforcement

(BOULDER, COLORADO) BI Incorporated, the Boulder company that pioneered electronic monitoring, remains the primary supplier of GPS-enabled ankle monitors used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and its footprint is growing fast in 2025 under new federal directives. An internal shift that began this spring accelerated in July, when ICE ordered field offices to place almost all adults in the Alternatives to Detention program on ankle monitors “whenever possible.” As of July 2025, the ATD program had about 183,000 adults enrolled nationwide; previously, roughly 24,000 wore ankle devices. The new policy aims to push that figure toward the full ATD population.

The ramp-up follows a June 9, 2025 memo signed by Dawnisha M. Helland, acting assistant director for ICE’s management of nondetained immigrants, directing staff to escalate supervision to GPS devices for most enrollees. Pregnant women, who were previously exempt, are now fitted with wrist-worn tracking devices. In August, ICE also rolled out a new facial recognition app for internal tracking, signaling a broader push toward electronic surveillance.

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Boulder, BI Incorporated has supplied ICE’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program since 2004. The company, owned by the Geo Group, signed a five-year, $2.2 billion contract with ICE in 2020 and received a one-year extension in July 2025 after the agency bypassed a planned competitive bid, keeping BI’s monopoly over immigrant electronic monitoring in place through at least 2026. Geo Group, already ICE’s largest detention contractor, has also won new work in 2025 tied to detention center operations and deportation flights.

Rapid Expansion of Electronic Monitoring

Under President Trump, policy reverted from allowing compliant ATD participants to move into less restrictive tools to instead mandating tighter controls, even for long-term, low-risk residents. Case managers employed by BI monitor location in real time.

Participants are assigned a geographic zone that can vary from a few miles to several states; leaving that zone, letting the battery deplete, or tampering with the device triggers alerts. BI case managers can issue warnings, increase supervision, or refer the case back to ICE for possible re-detention.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security present electronic monitoring as a humane, lower-cost alternative to detention, arguing that tracking helps ensure court appearances and public safety. The agency’s materials emphasize court compliance as the core goal of ATD. Readers can review the program’s stated purpose and tools on ICE’s official ATD page: https://www.ice.gov/detention-management/alternatives-to-detention-atd.

But the 2025 expansion represents a sharp change from recent years. In early 2025, only about 24,000 people in ATD were on ankle monitors. By July, ICE reported approximately 183,000 adults in ATD, and field instructions sought to place monitors on that full population “whenever possible.” August brought an additional layer with a facial recognition app for internal tracking.

Human Impact and Legal Questions

The scale-up has immediate effects on daily life. The devices are bulky and visible and are frequently described as stigmatizing at work, during school pick-ups, and even in medical settings.

Geographic restrictions can complicate childcare, shift work, or long commutes. A battery that slips low during a bus delay can trigger an alert. For families already balancing court dates, check-ins, and legal fees, the extra layer of surveillance can strain trust and stability.

Surveys cited in program reporting indicate:
– 90% of monitored immigrants report physical harm, including shocks and burns.
– 88% report mental health harm.
– 12% say they have considered suicide because of monitoring.

Immigration attorneys report that clients who followed every rule for years are now being placed on GPS devices with little explanation, reversing the previous progression to less restrictive oversight.

Advocacy groups argue expansion is punitive and unnecessary for low-risk individuals, especially those with strong community ties and clean records. They cite rising reports of skin injuries, sleep problems, and anxiety and question the broad geographic boundaries and opaque criteria used to escalate a compliant person onto a device.

ICE officials counter with several points:
– Electronic monitoring costs far less than detention and keeps families together outside locked facilities.
– Real-time tracking supports court attendance.
– Violations can be addressed progressively—from warnings to increased supervision—before resorting to custody.
– Pregnant women now use wrist-worn devices rather than ankle monitors, which the agency presents as a more tailored approach.

Key takeaway: The policy mechanics are straightforward but strict. Enrollment typically begins with an ICE referral into ATD, assignment to a BI case manager, and the fitting of a GPS unit—ankle for most adults, wrist for pregnant women. The device transmits location data to BI and ICE; any deviation, tamper alert, or low battery prompts contact from a case manager.

How the System Operates (Step-by-step)

1. ICE refers a person into the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program.
2. Participant is assigned to a BI case manager.
3. A GPS unit is fitted: ankle for most adults, wrist for pregnant women.
4. The device transmits continuous location data to BI and ICE.
5. Participant receives a defined travel radius or approved routes.
6. Alerts (leave zone, tamper, low battery) trigger BI contact and possible escalation:
   • Warnings
   • Increased supervision
   • Referral back to ICE for potential re-detention

Contracting and the Business Side

Analysis by VisaVerge.com and other observers notes that BI Incorporated’s exclusive role in ISAP, reinforced by the $2.2 billion contract (2020) and the July 2025 extension, constrains competition even as the government adds new technology and increases program volume. BI’s origin in livestock tracking illustrates how a niche technology evolved into the backbone of a national immigration program now touching well over a hundred thousand lives across the United States 🇺🇸.

Contracting developments suggest continuity:
– The one-year extension in July 2025 preserved BI’s monopoly through at least 2026.
– The scale of ATD and new internal tools (e.g., facial recognition app) point toward continued expansion.

Practical Steps for Affected Families, Employers, and Lawyers

For families and employers:
– Keep chargers handy and maintain device battery above the alert threshold.
– Ask case managers, in writing, for any travel approvals and keep copies.
– Document device malfunctions immediately and notify case managers in writing.

For lawyers:
– Focus on due process and proportionality for low-risk clients.
– Seek transparency on the criteria driving device assignments.
– Document any health or privacy harms and pursue remedies where appropriate.

Warnings and Deadlines

• The recent field instruction aimed to place monitors on almost all adults in ATD “whenever possible.” This is an active policy change with immediate operational effects.
• The contract extension in July 2025 maintains BI’s role through at least 2026, suggesting limited near-term change in vendor oversight unless a new competition is initiated.

For those affected, preparedness, documentation, and legal advocacy are the primary practical responses as ICE expands electronic surveillance across the ATD population.