As part of an Alternative to Detention (ATD) program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is handing out cellphones and ankle monitors meant to track individuals who crossed the border to ensure they show up for scheduled court dates, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed at a press briefing April 6.

Psaki said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes a biometric voice print of an illegal border crosser before issuing them a phone and releasing them into the United States. She said the federal government is then able to confirm an individual's voice during a check-in call or track the individual using GPS or facial matching technology with a smartphone or tablet. She said some are also tracked via an ankle bracelet.

The majority of illegal border crossers are being released into the United States with a court date that can be years down the road. Single males are the main population still being expelled. 

Most single women and those with families are being released with a cell phone that is used as an alternative to ankle monitors to track their whereabouts, according to an ICE agent who requested to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions.  

Each week, the cell phone sends an alert to the illegal immigrant, who then must take an "immigration selfie" that tags their location, the ICE agent told The Epoch Times. 

Colorado-based company BI Incorporated tracks the locations to ensure it's within 75 miles of the individual's address on record.  

The ATD program is meant to ensure the illegal immigrant turns up for their immigration court hearings without having to be detained in the meantime. However, previous data on ATD programs for illegal immigrants show that a high number abscond at some point during their court proceedings, or afterwards if the outcome for their case is deportation.