Poor Tech, Lack of Transparency, and Exhausted Staff Mark BI Inc.’s Oversight of Immigrant Tracking Program
In Anderson, Indiana, the BI Inc. call center operates around the clock, with customer support employees monitoring alerts to track thousands of immigrants under surveillance. These workers are often faced with technical issues, such as low battery warnings on ankle monitors or missed check-ins, signaling a potential loss of contact with individuals in the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP).
Launched in 2004, ISAP was designed to keep immigrants out of detention centers while awaiting their legal hearings. For over a decade, this program has been managed by BI Inc., a company founded in 1978 originally to monitor cattle, later acquired by the private prison corporation Geo Group in 2011.
While BI claims that its operations are built around electronic surveillance and “high-quality case management,” an investigation by The Guardian reveals a very different reality. Interviews with former employees, immigrants, lawyers, and internal documents expose a system plagued by unreliable technology and a focus on surveillance over support. The for-profit nature of BI’s operation often discourages staff from offering personalized services to immigrants, making the system more about control than assistance, leading to significant challenges for those enrolled in the program.
