By John Q. Hosedrinker 
A pregnant woman in Colorado, tracked by a mandatory ICE-issued VeriWatch, faced complications during delivery, causing hospital staff to grapple with how to proceed with the medical procedure. The VeriWatch is a location-tracking smart watch, and, unlike ankle monitors, it cannot be easily removed. This poses a problem because ICE and BI Inc. did not establish clear protocols for the device. The lack of clear protocols for the device added to the existing fear and confusion among monitored immigrants. This incident and others highlight how Donald Trump’s immigration policies are creating barriers to adequate medical care for vulnerable individuals.
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ICE is tracking pregnant women all the way to the delivery room. This is the chilling reality of a story that’s causing a lot of concern, and rightfully so. It’s about a woman, nine months pregnant, who arrived at a hospital for what should have been a joyous occasion – the birth of her child. Instead, she was burdened with the weight of constant surveillance, a stark reminder of her precarious legal status. She was wearing a special smart watch, a device mandated by ICE, that allowed them to track her every move, even into the delivery room.
The watch, known as the VeriWatch, is part of ICE’s “Alternative to Detention” program. This program, designed as an alternative to detention centers, allows certain immigrants to remain in the community while awaiting their court dates, but at a significant cost – constant monitoring. This monitoring includes ankle monitors, regular check-ins, and, in this case, the smart watch, all of which raise serious questions about privacy, human rights, and the very nature of freedom. This isn’t just about keeping tabs on someone; it’s about control, and the constant fear it instills.
The woman in the story, born in Central Asia, had already faced the trauma of a planned deportation, only to be saved by the very fact of her impending delivery. The pilot of the deportation flight refused to carry her so close to her due date. The fact that the watch was beeping, signaling a need to charge, added another layer of stress. The fear of being considered “out of compliance” with the device was palpable. It’s a cruel game, where a dying battery could potentially trigger a confrontation with immigration officials.
The entire system relies on intense monitoring. Many participants in the program are living with a constant sense of dread, fearing that they could be detained at any moment. The article mentions instances where people complying with the program showed up for mandatory check-ins, believing they were in compliance, only to be detained. The stories of pregnant women in ICE custody are heartrending, and the lengths to which authorities are willing to go, the planning and execution, truly take it to another level.
The VeriWatch is produced by BI Inc., a company specializing in surveillance technology that is currently operating the US government’s biggest immigrant surveillance operations. The company is connected to GeoGroup, which profits wildly from private prison facilities, operated under contracts with ICE. This reveals a clear link between profit motives and the potential for abuse and terrorization. As one commenter put it, the use of these devices could easily become a means of increasing profit, while at the same time terrorizing those subjected to it.
The concerns about this program are not just about the watches or the technology. They’re about the broader implications of such surveillance, and about the power ICE wields. There’s a deep-seated fear that this overreach could impact all Americans, a fear based on the idea that these practices might be extended and applied to other vulnerable groups. It’s a sentiment echoed in many comments – the feeling that anyone could be targeted, that the legal system is being circumvented, and that individual rights are being eroded.
One of the common threads throughout the comments is the acknowledgement of the fear. Fear of being targeted, fear of losing freedom, fear of unjust treatment. The phrase “cruelty is the point” gets thrown around frequently, which is a bleak assessment, but the implications of the actions described in the article seem to lend credence to this conclusion. The program itself, with its focus on tracking individuals, using their vulnerabilities, and exploiting their circumstances, is designed to instill fear.
The story serves as a reminder of the need for activism, for speaking out, and for holding those in power accountable. The reactions and the fears expressed by those who commented on the article demonstrate the widespread unease with these tactics, and the potential for a deeper, darker shift in the balance of power. The idea of ICE tracking someone, not just until they give birth, but into the delivery room is a chilling thought. This is about more than just immigration; it’s about the very values we claim to hold dear, and how far we are willing to go to defend them.