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New records detail ICE’s plan for four-legged robots named 'Spot'
The robots include cameras, radiation and toxic-gas sensors, and a five-foot arm as privacy advocates warn of misuse.
- ICE is spending $1.3 million to purchase four Spot robots from Radeco Inc. to investigate dangerous border tunnels and other hazardous environments that pose safety threats to personnel.
- New Congressional funding has enabled ICE to modernize its technology in 2026, with the robots already utilized by the Secret Service, Air Force, and local law enforcement agencies.
- The package includes cameras, sensors detecting radiation and toxic gas, and a five-foot arm attachment; according to a document from ICE's Office of Acquisition Management, the device will "to see on top of closets, bunk beds, and some crawl spaces."
- Will Owen, communications director for the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, stated the technology contributes to "the terror that immigrant communities are facing," while Boston Dynamics said its terms prohibit using robots for "harm or intimidation."
- DHS maintains the robots provide an option to protect officers and communities; however, ICE has not specified when or where devices will be deployed or what training agents will receive before use.
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