Sejal Zota

Many individuals seeking asylum or other forms of immigration relief in the U.S. are subject to a program run by Immigration Customs Enforcement, or ICE, called the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, which uses various kinds of tracking technologies as a way of keeping tabs on individuals who are not detained in ICE custodyStephanie Pell sat down with Sejal Zota, legal director of Just Futures Law, to talk about this program and the kinds of tracking technologies it employees. They discussed what is publicly known about these technologies, the privacy concerns associated with them, as well as some of the harms experienced by individuals who are subjected to the surveillance. Not withstanding these concerns, they also discussed whether the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program is a reasonable alternative to ICE detention, considering ICE’s need to keep track of individuals who are both seeking immigration relief and who may be ordered removed from the U.S. if that relief is not granted.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sejal Zota is the Legal Director of Just Futures Law, focused on strategic litigation for immigration advocacy. In the discussion, she unpacks the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program run by ICE, emphasizing the surveillance tactics like GPS tracking and facial recognition. Privacy concerns and the psychological toll on the monitored individuals take center stage. Zota challenges the normalization of such invasive measures as alternatives to detention, advocating for better support and protections for those affected.