Civil liberties group urges Washington to cancel programme to prevent ‘slide into anti-immigrant dystopia’
The US is testing robotic patrol dogs along its frontier with Mexico that it says could provide “mechanical reinforcements” for border guards, in a move criticised by a leading domestic rights group as a “civil liberties disaster”.
Adding to the outcry, the company that developed the dogs, Ghost Robotics, has previously showcased a four-legged robot that has a sniper rifle attached to its back.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this week that its research and development arm had offered border guards “a helping hand (or ‘paw’)” to work to “force-multiply” patrols.
“Due to the demands of the region, adding quadruped mechanical reinforcements is a smart use of resources,” the DHS said in a blog post.
Gavin Kenneally, the chief operating officer at Ghost Robotics, said the unarmed 45kg robot dog was “bred” to walk on sand, rocks and hills, as well as human-built environments such as stairs.
The robots were tested in El Paso, Texas, on the international border. “In a desert area, the dogs were programmed to go on simulated sentry duty,” DHS said.
It suggested that the bulky metal robots could even be used “as cover” for border guards.
“Just like anywhere else, you have your standard criminal behaviour, but along the border you can also have human smuggling, drug smuggling, as well as smuggling of other contraband – including firearms or even potentially, [weapons of mass destruction],” agent Brett Becker, of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) innovation team, was quoted as saying.
Federal agents operating along the Mexican border have long been accused of misconduct and mistreatment of the migrants and asylum seekers attempting to enter the US. Joe Biden’s administration has been sharply criticised by refugee advocates for the growing number of immigrants being held at private facilities.
The American Civil Liberties Union warned on Thursday that Washington’s plan to use robot patrol dogs on its borders was “a civil liberties disaster in the making”.
“The government must retract this dangerous proposal, and the Biden administration must put the brakes on our country’s slide into an anti-immigrant dystopia,” the advocacy group said.
In its post, DHS said people should not be “surprised if in the future we see robot ‘Fido’ out in the field, walking side-by-side with [CBP] personnel”.
… we have a small favour to ask. We’d like to thank you for putting your trust in our journalism last year - and invite you to join the million-plus people in 180 countries who have recently taken the step to support us financially, keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.
In 2021, this support sustained investigative work into offshore wealth, spyware, the 6 January insurrection, the corporate actors behind the climate crisis, and the abuses of Big Tech.
The new year, like all new years, will hopefully herald a fresh sense of cautious optimism, and there is certainly much for us to focus on in 2022 - the US midterms, the ongoing fight for racial justice, the next round in the struggle against the pandemic and a World Cup.
With no shareholders or billionaire owner, we can set our own agenda and provide trustworthy journalism that’s free from commercial and political influence, offering a counterweight to the spread of misinformation. When it’s never mattered more, we can investigate and challenge without fear or favour.
Unlike many other media organisations, Guardian journalism is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of global events, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you.
