Immigration and Customs and Enforcement plans to spend as much as $2 million to purchase robot “dogs” that the agency would use in immigration enforcement operations, according to a government funding document reviewed by NBC News.
A senior Department of Homeland Security official confirmed ICE is planning to purchase the robots. They would be used in situations where it may be unsafe for an officer to go into a building or area, the official said.
The doglike robots are equipped with cameras and sensors that can detect chemicals. They can relay information to officers about whether it is safe to enter, the official said. The dogs will not be used to make arrests, the official added.
The company that makes the robots, Boston Dynamics, said they can open doors and walk up stairs.
ICE could spend between $1 million and $2 million on the robots, according to the funding document. It says the robots could be used “for inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment in environments that may pose risks to personnel.”
“This capability helps improve officer safety, supports informed operational decision-making, and enhances DHS’s ability to respond to incidents involving dangerous, confined, unstable, or difficult-to-access areas,” according to the document, which is officially referred to as a “forecasting document.”
