ICE plans to spend up to $2m on Boston Dynamics robot dogs to scout dangerous locations for officers

Trump's immigration enforcement agency is looking at acquiring a fleet of four-legged Boston Dynamics 'Spot' robots, with federal procurement documents indicating ICE may spend anywhere from $1 million to $2 million on the devices. Their intended role is to survey hazardous, confined or unstable environments ahead of officers entering, rather than to carry out arrests. The push follows a separate ICE proposal to spend as much as $20 million on electric shock gloves for agents, which has drawn criticism from civil liberties groups.

The 75-pound Spot robots reach speeds of up to five feet per second and carry cameras and sensors that can detect gas, radiation and vibration in dangerous settings.

The robotics initiative follows Congress's allocation of $165 billion to DHS under Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', which cleared without a single Democratic vote.

New York scrapped its own Boston Dynamics contract following public backlash, but critics argue ICE has shown little inclination to bend to similar pressure.