Alternatives to Detention: Ankle Monitors, Check-Ins, and Apps

Instead of holding someone in a detention facility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sometimes releases them under supervision — an "alternative to detention," or ATD. Under ATD, you live at home but agree to conditions: a GPS ankle monitor, check-ins through a phone app called SmartLINK, telephone reporting, or in-person visits to an ICE office on a schedule. This differs from an immigration bond, which is money posted so ICE releases you with no ongoing electronic monitoring. Below: how ATD works, what conditions typically require, what happens if you miss a check-in or your device fails, and how it compares to bond, current as of mid-2026. Programs and vendors change, so confirm your own conditions with your assigned officer and case-specific questions with an immigration attorney.

What "alternatives to detention" means

ATD is an umbrella term for ways ICE supervises people in immigration proceedings without holding them in a detention facility. The main program is the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). Since 2004, ICE has contracted this case-management and monitoring work to a private company, BI Incorporated (a subsidiary of the GEO Group), under a multi-year federal contract. ISAP has gone through several contract versions over the years, so older materials may use different version numbers.

Under ISAP, a person is assigned a supervision level and a set of tools based on their case, and a case specialist tracks compliance and communicates with ICE. Being placed on ATD generally means ICE has decided this level of supervision, rather than continued physical detention, is currently sufficient to ensure the person shows up for hearings and required check-ins.

The three main monitoring tools

ICE's ATD-ISAP program has historically used a mix of the following; which one (or combination) you're assigned depends on your case and can change over time:

• GPS ankle monitor. Worn around the ankle, it transmits your location to the monitoring contractor and typically needs daily charging using a supplied unit; it generally cannot be removed without authorization. Recent published ICE data shows a relatively small share of ATD participants wear a body-worn device — most are on other tools — but usage can shift, so don't assume it's rare in your area.
• SmartLINK smartphone app. Now the most widely used ATD tool. Installed on your own phone (or one ICE provides), it periodically requires a check-in selfie compared against your enrollment photos, sometimes with a GPS check at that moment. Check-ins are typically scheduled windows, not continuous tracking.
• Telephonic reporting. A lower-tech option: you call a designated number on a schedule to confirm your status, sometimes with voice-recognition identity verification.

Most people on ATD also have a case specialist, may need periodic in-person office visits, and must keep their address current with ICE.

What the conditions typically require

While every case is individualized, people on ATD are commonly expected to:

• Keep the monitor charged and in working order (for ankle monitors) or keep the SmartLINK app installed, updated, and able to reach GPS/network signal on a phone that stays charged and with you.
• Complete every scheduled check-in — app, phone, or in-person — on time, and not just once but every time it's due.
• Attend all immigration court hearings and ICE appointments.
• Report an address or phone change promptly to your ISAP case specialist and, separately, to the immigration court (EOIR) if you have a case pending there — updating one does not automatically update the other.
• Not tamper with, damage, or remove monitoring equipment, and follow any additional case-specific conditions your officer sets, which can include travel restrictions.

Ask your case specialist directly, in writing if possible, exactly what's required and how often — don't rely on assumptions or someone else's experience, since requirements vary person to person.

If you miss a check-in or the technology fails

Missing a scheduled check-in, letting a device lose charge, or having the app fail to connect can be treated as a compliance issue, even when the failure was technical. Consequences can include:

• A warning or increased scrutiny — for a first or minor lapse reported promptly, a case specialist may simply note it and tell you to resolve the issue.
• An escalation in supervision level — for example, being moved from app check-ins to an ankle monitor, or to more frequent in-person reporting.
• A warrant or being taken back into custody — a pattern of missed check-ins, or a single missed check-in with other factors, can lead ICE to treat you as having violated your release conditions, resulting in re-arrest and a return to detention.

What to do if a check-in fails or you realize you missed one:

1. Contact your ISAP case specialist or the number on your paperwork immediately — don't wait to see if it "goes away."
2. If the problem is technical (dead battery, app won't open, no signal, broken monitor), say so clearly; keep screenshots, error messages, or notes on when you tried and what happened.
3. If you'll miss a check-in for an emergency, report it in advance if possible, and immediately after if not.
4. Follow up in writing (email, text, or the app's messaging feature) so there's a record you notified them, not just an undocumented phone call.
5. If you're detained or a warrant issues despite your efforts, or your supervision level changes and you don't know why, contact a qualified immigration attorney or accredited representative right away.

How ATD is different from an immigration bond

These are two separate mechanisms for getting out of, or avoiding, physical detention, and people sometimes conflate them:

• Immigration bond is money posted with ICE (or set by an immigration judge, if you request a bond redetermination) so you're released while your case continues. Once posted, there's generally no ongoing electronic monitoring tied to the bond itself, though ICE can still separately place bonded-out individuals on ATD. Bond is returned if you comply through your case's conclusion, and forfeited if you don't. See our article on immigration bond and getting out of detention.
• Release under ATD/supervision generally requires no money. Instead you agree to, and are tracked under, ongoing conditions — check-ins, monitoring, reporting — that can continue for the full length of your case.

Important 2026 hedge: whether bond is even available to a given person is currently unsettled and changing. DHS took the position in 2025 that certain noncitizens — broadly, those treated as "applicants for admission," including many who entered without inspection — are not eligible for a bond hearing before an immigration judge, leaving parole (a discretionary release decided by an officer, not a judge) or continued detention as the only options under that reading. Federal appeals courts have split on whether this is lawful, so the answer can depend on which federal circuit your detention facility sits in, and rulings keep developing. Don't assume you are or aren't eligible for a bond hearing — check with your attorney or the immigration court (EOIR) directly, since eligibility can turn on your circuit and manner of entry.

Being on ATD does not mean your case is over

ATD is a supervision status, not a decision on your underlying case. You still must appear at every hearing, respond to every court notice, and pursue whatever relief (asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or otherwise) applies to you. Being on ATD does not pause a pending deadline — for example, the one-year asylum filing deadline, or a deadline to respond to a motion. Track your court dates independently; ICE's monitoring tracks you, not your case deadlines.

Common questions

Can I ask to be taken off an ankle monitor and switched to the SmartLINK app?

Sometimes. Case specialists periodically review supervision levels and can adjust the assigned tool based on compliance history and other factors, but there's no guaranteed right to a particular tool. Ask your case specialist about a review, and consider help from a qualified immigration attorney or accredited representative if you believe your circumstances justify a change.

Does ICE charge me for the ankle monitor or app?

ICE's contracted programs have generally not charged participants a fee for the government-issued equipment itself, but requirements like needing a working smartphone with data service for SmartLINK can create real costs. Confirm current specifics with your case specialist.

Will being on ATD affect my immigration case outcome?

ATD is a custody/supervision status, separate from the merits of your case. Compliance can matter to how ICE and, in some contexts, an immigration judge view your reliability, and a violation can lead to re-detention — but it is not, by itself, a decision on whether you get to stay in the United States.

What if the monitoring itself puts me at risk (for example, a domestic violence situation)?

Raise safety concerns directly with your case specialist and, especially, with an attorney or accredited representative — there may be options depending on your circumstances. Don't try to solve a safety problem by removing or disabling equipment yourself; tampering can itself trigger a violation.

Where can I learn more about ongoing check-in duties after a final removal order?

See our companion article on ICE check-ins, orders of supervision, and life after a removal order, which covers post-order reporting in more depth.

This article is general legal information current as of mid-2026, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. ATD programs, contractors, and bond policy are currently changing and being litigated — verify your conditions with your assigned officer and confirm current rules with ICE (ice.gov), the immigration court/EOIR (justice.gov/eoir), or USCIS (uscis.gov), and consult a qualified immigration attorney or accredited representative about your case. Beware "notarios" or unlicensed immigration consultants — a notario is not a lawyer, and unauthorized practice can cost you money and damage your case; verify any representative's status before paying for help.