New Phone App Tracks Migrants to Assigned Cities in U.S. On 5/24/21 at 5:11 PM EDT As thousands of migrants continue coming into the United States along the Southern border, agents have looked into a more convenient way to track their whereabouts. Ankle monitors have been the standard devices used in the past, but now border agents are increasingly starting to use an app. U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas. ICE agents are now using an app to track migrants who have entered into the country. John Moore/Getty Images The SmartLINK app monitoring program uses facial recognition to confirm identity and schedule check-ins with border patrol agents. To communicate with agents, the user of the app can set calendar events, reminders, and even directly communicate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Agents can also use the app to monitor people without having to physically watch them at all times, and GPS in the app keeps tabs on migrants' locations to verify they are in the destination cities where they told border agents they would be.