Contract
Researched
BI Incorporated — ISAP V IDIQ Contract (Ankle Monitors & Surveillance)
BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of The GEO Group, holds the sole-source contract for ICE’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) – the federal government’s primary immigration surveillance program, marketed as “alternatives to detention.”
Contract History
| Contract | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| ISAP (early iterations) | Pre-2020 | Various |
| ISAP IV | 2020-2025 | $2.2 billion |
| ISAP V | Oct 1, 2025 — (1+1 year) | Up to $1 billion |
| Total projected through 2026 | $700M+ in surveillance revenue |
What the Contract Covers
Under ISAP V, BI provides:
- GPS ankle monitors – Physical devices that cannot be removed, tracking location 24/7
- VeriWatch – Smartwatches that cannot be removed, functioning as wrist-mounted trackers
- SmartLINK app – Smartphone app collecting geolocation, phone contacts, vehicle info, biometric data (facial images, voice prints)
- Telephonic reporting – Biometric voice verification check-ins
Scale of Surveillance
The population under BI monitoring has surged:
| Date | GPS Ankle Monitors | Total Under ICE Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Early 2025 | ~17,000 | ~183,000 |
| June 2025 | Rapid expansion (memo: “whenever possible”) | Growing |
| Late 2025 | 42,000+ | Growing |
| ICE target 2026 | Up to 180,000 | Up to 450,000 |
The “Alternative” That Feeds Enforcement
ISAP is framed as a humane alternative to physical detention. In practice:
- Failure to comply with monitoring triggers the skip-tracing program (see BI’s $121M skip-tracing contract)
- Data collected through SmartLINK feeds directly into enforcement operations
- BI profits whether someone is detained (via GEO Group facilities) or monitored (via ISAP) – the parent company wins either way
- The June 2025 ICE internal memo directing agents to place ankle monitors “whenever possible” was an explicit expansion directive
Sources
- GEO Group press release: ISAP V IDIQ contract award
- GovConWire: BI Secures ICE ISAP V IDIQ Contract
- Biometric Update: ICE’s expanding use of ankle monitors ignites surveillance, privacy concerns (Jul 2025)
- USASpending.gov: BI Incorporated contract
- Sahan Journal: SmartLINK monitoring in Minnesota
- The Lever: Private Prison Firms Cash In On Surveillance Boom
- Spokesman: ICE moves to shackle 180,000 with GPS ankle monitors (Jul 2025)