Name: ICE Issues Smartphones to 255,602 Illegal Border Crossers; Cost Is $89.5 Million a Year
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T20:42:21.000Z
Description: Department of Homeland Security agencies have issued 255,602 smartphones to illegal aliens during fiscal year 2022, according to data on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management">website</a>.

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

NTD Plus

News

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

Learning Skill of Healthy, Open Dialogue Strengthens Relationships, Wellbeing: Psychologist

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

‘It’s Brilliant Timing’ for Abraham Accords, Peace in the Middle East: Expert

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

Trump Outlines 3 Options for Iran’s Uranium Disposal

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Rubio Speaks to Russia's Lavrov About Kyiv Strikes

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Texas Primary Runoffs: Key Races to Watch

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

State News

California

Southern California Officials Lift Evacuation Orders for Residents Near Damaged Chemical Tank

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

World News

Middle East

Israel Will Escalate Strikes Against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu Says

Sports News

Knicks Back in NBA Finals for First Time Since 1999 After Beating Cavs 130–93 to Finish Sweep

Honor the Fallen by Leading an Honest, Honorable Life: Veteran

No Reason to Trust Iran's Claims About Its Nuclear Intentions, Says Expert

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 27)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 26)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 25)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 22)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 21)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 20)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 19)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 18)

Accommodating, Enabling China’s Regime a Failed Strategy: China Expert

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 15)

More Than 17,000 Under Evacuation Orders as Southern California Wildfire Threatens Homes

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Rudy Blalock is a Southern California-based daily news reporter for NTD. Originally from Michigan, he moved to California in 2017 and the sunshine and ocean have kept him here since. In his free time, he may be found underwater scuba diving, on top of a mountain hiking or snowboarding, or at home meditating—which helps fuel his active lifestyle.

Rudy Blalock

40,000 Ordered to Evacuate as Chemical Tank Leaks, Threatens Explosion in California

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Video of US Fighter Jet Shooting Down UFO Over Lake Huron Emerges in New Pentagon Files

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Government Sues Chick-fil-A Over Religious Rights

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

Kyle Busch, Two-Time NASCAR Champion, Dies at 41

Haika Mrema

Medical Plane Crash in New Mexico Mountains Kills 4, Sparks Wildfire

Department of Homeland Security agencies have issued 255,602 smartphones to illegal aliens during fiscal year 2022, according to data on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management">website</a>.

The phones are trackable and the alien is responsible for checking in with ICE on a regular basis, often by sending in a geo-tagged photo of themselves.

The cost for the 255,602 phones and their accompanying technology is $245,377 per day—almost $1,000 per illegal alien per day. Over a year, that's $89.5 million.

The majority of the phones were issued to single adults.

ICE has failed to provide any data on the compliance rate of the smartphone program or on how many aliens have absconded from it, despite repeated requests by The Epoch Times.

ICE began issuing the smartphones within the past year as border stations became overwhelmed. Agents started processing illegal aliens under a newly-created category called "Parole+ATD." ATD is an “alternatives to detention” program, which is acting as a workaround of the legal requirement to detain illegal aliens.

By law, <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/exclusive-border-patrol-using-rare-parole-exemption-to-quickly-release-tens-of-thousands-of-illegal-aliens-into-us_4472447.html">parole is designed</a> to be used on a "case-by-case basis" and for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” according to the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The status allows foreign nationals “who may not otherwise be admissible to the country under the immigration laws” to live and work in the United States temporarily “without being formally admitted to the country and without having a set pathway to a permanent immigration status,” according to a 2020 Congressional Research Service <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46570">report</a>.

Under parole status, illegal immigrants don’t have to provide Border Patrol with evidence of credible fear for asylum and are permitted entry without any preconditions, except a quick background check in the U.S. crime database.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesman previously told The Epoch Times that the parole designation allows for overwhelmed Border Patrol stations to process and release large numbers of illegal aliens “significantly faster” than the more involved traditional system, which releases an illegal alien with a notice to appear that includes a court date for their first immigration hearing.

In addition to the smartphones, nearly 41,000 additional illegal aliens in FY 2022 were fitted with ankle monitors that have built-in GPS tracking. Almost 20,000 others were placed in another type of alternative to detention program.


<h2>'No Consequences'</h2>
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said in July that a lack of consequences for illegal entries is a large driver of the border crisis.

“In my experience, we have seen increases when there are no consequences,” Ortiz said on July 28 during a <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/border-patrol-chief-says-no-consequences-is-driving-border-crisis_4703080.html">deposition</a> for a lawsuit against the federal government brought by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

Ortiz said that as long as the Biden administration isn’t detaining or removing most illegal immigrants, the numbers will increase.

“There is an assumption if migrant populations are told that there’s a potential that they may be released, then yes, you can see increases,” he said.

In addition, the deportation cases for <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/rising-number-of-deportation-cases-automatically-dismissed-over-failure-to-provide-key-documents-report_4631155.html">tens of thousands</a> of illegal immigrants are being dismissed before getting to court because Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are failing to file the requisite paperwork, a recent report reveals.

One out of every six new cases (16.6 percent) is being dismissed due to the failure to follow due process, according to the immigration court docket tracker Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (<a href="https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/691/">TRAC</a>) at Syracuse University.

For the six-year period from fiscal year 2013 through fiscal 2018, fewer than 1 percent of the cases, or 1,221, were dismissed due to DHS failure to submit the necessary “notice to appear” paperwork. The notice includes the date of the illegal immigrant’s first court hearing.

The number of dismissals due to the same paperwork failure has increased dramatically every year since then, with 47,330 cases so far in fiscal 2022 with three months of data outstanding, according to the TRAC report.

The final month of border crossing data for fiscal year 2022 is yet to be published by Customs and Border Protection, but the number of arrests just at the southern border had already hit 2 million for the year.

In total, border agents nationwide will have apprehended more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants from more than 160 countries during the year.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/ice-issues-smartphones-to-255602-illegal-border-crossers-cost-is-89-5-million-a-year_4787293.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

smartphones

Border

Videos

immigrants

Politics

01_Lead Story

04_Top Stories

illegal

Latest Clips

Immigration &amp; Border Security

Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis.

Charlotte Cuthbertson

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.