Immigrants Fight Restrictions At Home
Run by a division of the Department of Homeland Security, ISAP began in 2004 as an alternative to detention for immigrants who could otherwise be detained for alleged immigration violations. But that program was decried by some lawyers and advocates who claimed it was an alternative form of detention – too often ensnaring people who shouldn’t be detained at all. They said ISAP was overly restrictive and doesn’t effect the cost savings it was designed to – only some 610 New York residents, and 3,973 immigrants nationwide were enrolled when Obama was elected. Though it’s a relatively small number, this group of people appeared to be caught in the gears of a gray area of government policy – one where either being outspoken, or not outspoken enough, could be the wrong move for someone whose immigration status is precarious.
For those already detained for immigration offenses – such as entering the country without permission or overstaying a visa – the way ISAP worked was to grant release on the condition that participants agreed to a set of strict rules, including a 12-hour curfew, three face-to-face meetings per week with a case worker, and unannounced telephone calls and home visits from the authorities.
Each immigrant was also fitted with a GPS (Global Positioning System) monitoring ankle bracelet and was required to install voice recognition technology on their home telephone line, which allowed caseworkers to confirm they were speaking to the ISAP participant during routine phone calls. Only those not subject to mandatory detention, and not deemed a threat to the community or a flight risk, could participate in ISAP.
https://citylimits.org/2008/09/08/immigrants-fight-restrictions-at-home/