ICE to use robot dogs from Boston Dynamics in deportation operations
BOSTON —
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is set to deploy a new tool in its mass deportation campaign: a fleet of “robot dogs” that were made in Massachusetts.
The Spot robots were created by Boston Dynamics and will be used in operations deemed unsafe for human agents, like hazardous gas detection, search and rescue, as well as suspicious package investigations.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Boston Dynamics said in part:
“Boston Dynamics sells to many government agencies and public safety organizations and the robots are used to keep people out of harm’s way and aid first responders in assessing dangerous situations… any attempted weaponization of Boston Dynamics’ robots is strictly prohibited.”
ICE put in a $2 million order for the robots, but it’s unclear when the agency plans to deploy them.
The technology is also used by the Secret Service.