Boston Dynamics Robots Could Soon Assist ICE on Raids

The Waltham, Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics makes some pretty sophisticated robots, some of which could soon accompany ICE agents on immigration raids.

Mass. Daily News reported, "Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants to spend up to $2 million on Boston Dynamics' Spot robots to check the inside of buildings, sniff for hazardous gases, and clear suspicious packages before human agents walk in behind them."

The Technology Behind the Procurement

The Department of Homeland Security filed a procurement notice in August, according to Mass. Daily News, describing the deal as a "remotely operated robotic capability for inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in environments that may pose risks to personnel."

Massachusetts Robot Dogs Could Aid ICE With Immigration Raids

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ICE uses a host of targeted enforcement methods including surveillance, plainclothes operations, and street and vehicle stops.

Local Policy and Massachusetts Oversight

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently signed a law, known as the "Protect Act" (An Act Promoting Rule of Law, Oversight, Trust and Equal Constitutional Treatment), that she believes will ban federal immigration agents from making "warrantless civil immigration arrests" in so-called "sensitive areas" such as courthouses, public schools, child care centers, and health care providers and prohibits state and local law enforcement from asking about citizenship status during traffic stops, among other things.

Healey, who launched a portal to report ICE misbehavior earlier this year, has had her share of run-ins with ICE.

The Balance Between Tech and Enforcement

Ironically, robotic dogs made in Massachusetts may be used by ICE to investigate illegal immigrants, although ICE reportedly told NBC that the dogs would not be used for making arrests.

Boston Dynamics is an engineering and robotics design company founded in 1992 by Marc Robert. The company is a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company.