ICE Ankle Monitors and ISAP Check-In Rules (Alternatives to Detention)

Status: In effect now — ICE June 9, 2025 memo expanding GPS ankle monitors in the Alternatives to Detention (ISAP) program (No docket — internal ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations policy memo dated June 9, 2025 (agency policy, not court litigation))

This is operative ICE policy, not blocked by any court. A June 9, 2025 internal ICE memo (attributed to Acting Assistant Director Helland, Enforcement and Removal Operations) directed officers to escalate people enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program to GPS ankle monitors "whenever possible" and to increase reporting requirements; pregnant enrollees are directed to wrist-worn devices instead. After the memo, the ankle-monitor cohort within ATD roughly doubled — from about 24,000 in June 2025 to about 42,000 by February 2026 (roughly a 75% rise) — even as overall ATD enrollment stayed relatively flat. ISAP (the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program), ATD's main component, is run for ICE by BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of The GEO Group, and uses GPS ankle monitors, the SmartLINK smartphone app (photo/selfie check-ins), telephonic reporting, and in-person and home visits. Because this is agency policy rather than a court case, there is no docket; advocacy groups have filed Freedom of Information Act requests and pressed for the memo's public release, and ICE has said it would post the memo but cited a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse.

Next step: No court hearing is scheduled — this is an agency policy, not litigation. Watch for public release of the June 2025 memo (which ICE said it would post), Freedom of Information Act disclosures and congressional inquiries into the program, and updated ICE ATD/ISAP data showing how many people are on ankle monitors versus the SmartLINK app or telephonic reporting.

Verified against the primary source as of 2026-07-25 — status can change with a single court ruling. Official source.

What’s happening

This is operative ICE policy, not blocked by any court. A June 9, 2025 internal ICE memo (attributed to Acting Assistant Director Helland, Enforcement and Removal Operations) directed officers to escalate people enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program to GPS ankle monitors “whenever possible” and to increase reporting requirements; pregnant enrollees are directed to wrist-worn devices instead. After the memo, the ankle-monitor cohort within ATD roughly doubled — from about 24,000 in June 2025 to about 42,000 by February 2026 (roughly a 75% rise) — even as overall ATD enrollment stayed relatively flat. ISAP (the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program), ATD’s main component, is run for ICE by BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of The GEO Group, and uses GPS ankle monitors, the SmartLINK smartphone app (photo/selfie check-ins), telephonic reporting, and in-person and home visits. Because this is agency policy rather than a court case, there is no docket; advocacy groups have filed Freedom of Information Act requests and pressed for the memo’s public release, and ICE has said it would post the memo but cited a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse.

Who it affects

Non-detained immigrants supervised through ICE’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program while their immigration cases are pending — people who have been released but must report to ICE and its contractor. It affects how they are monitored (a GPS ankle monitor, the SmartLINK smartphone app with photo/selfie check-ins, or telephonic reporting), how often they must check in (for example, app selfies, biweekly in-person office visits, or periodic home visits), and the risk of escalated supervision or detention if reporting conditions are not met. Pregnant enrollees are directed to wrist-worn devices rather than ankle monitors. It does not change eligibility for release or the outcome of any immigration case. This page explains what ISAP and SmartLINK are and general check-in obligations; it is general information, not legal advice.

How it got here

  1. 2004 ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program is formally implemented; the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) is its main component.
  2. Jun 9, 2025 An internal ICE memo (attributed to Acting Assistant Director Helland) directs officers to move ATD enrollees to GPS ankle monitors "whenever possible" and to increase reporting; pregnant enrollees get wrist devices instead. About 24,000 people are on ankle monitors at this point.
  3. Jul 24, 2025 The policy is publicly reported (The Washington Post), drawing privacy and surveillance concerns and estimates that it could apply to as many as roughly 180,000 people on the ATD docket.
  4. Feb 2026 An ICE report shows about 42,000 people on ankle monitors within ATD — roughly a 75% increase since the June 2025 memo — while overall ATD enrollment stays relatively flat.
  5. Mar 2026 Medill on the Hill publishes an investigation ("Intentional Chaos") documenting the ankle-monitor surge and the check-in burdens on ATD enrollees, with the D.C. field office area showing the highest concentration of monitored people.

What to watch next

No court hearing is scheduled — this is an agency policy, not litigation. Watch for public release of the June 2025 memo (which ICE said it would post), Freedom of Information Act disclosures and congressional inquiries into the program, and updated ICE ATD/ISAP data showing how many people are on ankle monitors versus the SmartLINK app or telephonic reporting.

Official sources

This page is general information about ongoing litigation, not legal advice. A case’s status can change with a single ruling, and outcomes can turn on facts specific to each person. For advice on a specific situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.