Following 'Stun Gloves,' Hyundai's Robot Dog to Be Used for Immigration Enforcement?

Local reports indicate that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considering adopting quadrupedal robots manufactured by Boston Dynamics, a robotics firm affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group.

According to U.S. outlets including ABC News, a procurement plan released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security includes a new procurement project for ICE to purchase Boston Dynamics' "Spot" robots.

The expected contract scale is between $1 million and $2 million—roughly 1.3 billion to 2.7 billion won—with the bidding notice scheduled to be released on the 4th of next month.

Spot is a quadrupedal robot capable of entering spaces that are difficult for humans to access by utilizing cameras and sensors, and it can also be remotely controlled.

While the document reportedly does not specify whether Spot will be deployed directly in immigration enforcement, it specifies that the main purpose is to utilize robots in environments that could be hazardous for human access.

As the Trump administration pushes for mass deportation policies, ICE has been investing in various identification technologies, such as facial recognition, voice recognition, smartphone-based surveillance, and body cameras.

Recently, the agency drew controversy by signing a contract worth approximately $16.7 million to secure 6,000 pairs of electroshock gloves.

In response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the robots will not be used for purposes such as arresting immigrants, and Boston Dynamics also stated that it does not permit its robots to be weaponized.

Regarding the procurement plan, Bloomberg reported that "ICE is looking to add robotic dogs as it expands arrests and deportations," adding that "civil rights groups are raising concerns."

Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Choi Kang-san | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.