ICE plans to spend up to $2M on robot dogs

Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend up to $2 million on robotic “dogs,” according to federal records.

A funding document posted this week by the Department of Homeland Security says the agency could spend between $1 million and $2 million on “SPOT Robots,” which are manufactured by Boston Dynamics .

The robots are intended to assist with “inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in environments that may pose risks to personnel,” according to the planning document .

“This capability helps improve officer safety, supports informed operational decision-making, and enhances DHS’s ability to respond to incidents involving dangerous, confined, unstable, or difficult-to-access areas,” the document adds.

Boston Dynamics, an American robotics company, describes SPOT as an “easy to use” product with “360° perception and athletic intelligence.” The roughly 75-pound, four-legged robot is equipped with cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity and can travel at speeds of up to about 5 feet per second.

The machines — which have extendable arms — have already been used by police departments across the U.S., according to ABC News .

The notice comes weeks after DHS published documents indicating that it could spend up to $20 million on specialized gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks to assist with compliance.

The department has received a significant influx of funding after President Donald Trump signed the “ One Big Beautiful Bill Act ” into law last summer. The sweeping legislation, which passed without a single Democratic vote, allocated $165 billion to the department, which oversees ICE.

The additional spending comes as many Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of his anti-immigration campaign. Opposition intensified after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in Minnesota in January.

The president called for a “ softer touch ” on immigration enforcement following their killings.

Recent data, meanwhile, indicates that ICE has accelerated its enforcement operations . The administration logged its highest monthly totals for immigration-related arrests this summer, with ICE arresting more than 43,000 people in June and another 50,000 in July, The Independent reported this week.

For the first time since Trump took office, more than half of those arrested had no pending criminal charges or prior convictions.

In an August YouGov poll , 53 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of immigration, while 40 percent approved.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies