ICE nearly doubled its use of ankle monitors on people in its Alternatives to Detention program following a June 2025 internal memo, growing from approximately 24,000 to 42,000 people by February 2026. Legal advocates and experts argue the devices impose psychological, economic, and physical harms on wearers and often result in job loss. They contend the monitors may be used to pressure immigrants into self-deportation rather than ensure compliance. Research shows 98% of immigrants released without ankle monitors attended all court hearings and ICE check-ins, compared with 93% of those wearing devices, suggesting the devices do not improve compliance rates.