More than 180,000 immigrants in the U.S. will be required to use electronic ankle monitors

• U.S. orders ankle monitors for 180,000 immigrants.
• Migrants in the U.S. will be required to wear GPS trackers.
• More immigrants will wear electronic ankle monitors.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered all immigrants enrolled in its monitoring program to wear a GPS electronic ankle monitor.

This was revealed by The Washington Post based on an internal document dated June 9.

The measure affects more than 180,000 people under the «Alternatives to Detention» program,

which until now only applied this technology to a small percentage of participants.

U.S. orders ankle monitors for 180,000 immigrants

The U.S. government orders electronic ankle monitors to be placed on more than 180,000 immigrants enrolled in an ICE tracking program.https://t.co/SXR4W1ms35

— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) July 24, 2025

The decision involves a significant expansion in the use of tracking devices, in a context of increasing immigration pressure and a tightening of federal policies driven by the Donald Trump administration.

Who has intensified deportation efforts.

Since his return to the White House last January.

This was reported by EFE.

What is the Alternatives to Detention program?

The U.S. government orders electronic ankle monitors to be placed on more than 180,000 immigrants https://t.co/bZZhqBtbna

— Apunte Digital (@apunterd) July 24, 2025

This federal program aims to keep immigrants under supervision during the administrative review of their status, without the need to detain them in centers.

Many of them are awaiting their hearings before immigration courts or decisions regarding possible deportation orders.

Until now, participation was voluntary, and of the more than 183,000 enrolled, only 24,000 — equivalent to 13% — wore electronic ankle monitors.

With the new directive, ICE orders GPS ankle monitors to be placed on all participants “whenever possible.” The memo also includes exceptions, such as pregnant women, who would be given alternative devices like electronic wristbands.

A controversial measure with over 20 years of history

#International | Trump orders GPS ankle monitors for over 180,000 migrants

ICE implements widespread measure in its monitoring program; activists denounce stigmatization and privacy violations.https://t.co/WDUo9YMkT9

— Enfoque Monterrey (@EnfoqueMty) July 24, 2025

Although electronic devices are considered by ICE to be a “less invasive” alternative to physical detention, multiple civil rights organizations have denounced that these technologies violate migrants’ privacy.

They also cause discomfort and stigmatization, and complicate their daily lives.

Advocates point out that wearing an ankle monitor can affect access to employment, create family tensions, and foster a constant feeling of surveillance.

For many immigrants, it is a form of symbolic criminalization without having been convicted of any crime.

Trump intensifies his immigration policy

The new ICE policy aligns with the increasingly tough stance of President Donald Trump, who has intensified deportations and raids since his return to the presidency in January.

His administration has set a daily target of 3,000 deportations, a high pace that reflects both his electoral commitments and a migration deterrence strategy.

The widespread use of electronic ankle monitors is just one of the tools implemented to control the presence of undocumented individuals while their legal processes are underway.

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