ICE Plans $2 Million Purchase of Boston Dynamics Robot Dogs
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend up to $2 million on Spot robot dogs for situational awareness and hazard assessment in dangerous environments.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend between $1 million and $2 million to acquire a fleet of Spot robot dogs from Boston Dynamics. According to Department of Homeland Security procurement notices, the quadruped robots will be used for remote inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in confined or unstable areas, such as locations containing hazardous gases or suspicious packages, to keep officers out of harm's way.
This acquisition is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to intensify immigration enforcement, arrests, and deportations. The procurement is planned as a non-competitive, firm fixed-price deal with a place of performance at Fort Benning, Georgia. ICE becomes the second federal entity to adopt the technology, following the United States Secret Service.
The robot purchase coincides with a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves. While ICE describes the gloves as a less-lethal tool for gaining control during encounters, a group of sixteen senators, led by Catherine Cortez Masto, has urged Acting Director David Venturella to cancel the contract, citing concerns over safety and the use of force. Boston Dynamics has stated that any weaponization of its robots is strictly prohibited under its terms and conditions.
