US immigration agency ICE plans to deploy robot dogs

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to deploy dog-like robots under a proposed $2 million contract with Boston Dynamics, according to US government contract documents, dpa reports.

The Massachusetts-based robotics company is expected to receive the contract by the end of the year, according to a notification published by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE.

The remotely controlled robots would be used for situational awareness and risk assessment, particularly in dangerous, confined, unstable or difficult-to-access areas, the DHS said.

The documents do not specify whether the robots would have any attack capabilities. Boston Dynamics' standard SPOT robots are equipped with a high-resolution 360-degree camera, an ultra-bright LED light and a light-detection system.

ICE's deportation raids form part of President Donald Trump's strict immigration policy. The agency has faced criticism over several fatal incidents involving federal officers, including the deaths of US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January.

The agency has also attracted attention over its planned procurement of electric-shock gloves.

Four-legged robots are already used by authorities and security forces in some countries. Robots made by Boston Dynamics have been deployed at the German port of Hamburg to inspect the safety of bridges and can also be used in bomb threats and other dangerous situations.

Earlier, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 electric-shock gloves, despite criticism from Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates.

The Kentucky-based manufacturer describes the GLOVEs as “de-escalation devices” intended to reduce the need for stronger forms of force. The gloves deliver an electric shock when activated by a button and come into direct contact with a person’s skin.

The technology has drawn criticism after the manufacturer warned that its physical effects could, in some circumstances, result in sudden death.

By Aghakazim Guliyev