Binghamton Research Days Student Presentations
Jaiden D Price - Price_Research_Days_Poster.pdfThe Shortcomings of the Risk Classification Assessment Tool of the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement
The Shortcomings of the Risk Classification Assessment Tool of the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement
Jaiden Price (First-year, School of Management)
Jaiden Price (First-year, School of Management)
Mentors: Kent Schull, History
Mentors: Kent Schull, History
Abstract
As of March 2019, the United States Department of Homeland Security held about 50,000 adult migrants in detention every day, and almost 375,000 immigrants were in detention during the 2019 fiscal year. Since 2013, whether an immigrant is detained or released is determined by an automated decision-making system, the Risk Classification Assessment (RCA). The RCA reportedly uses an automated algorithm to, in theory, determine an immigrant's threat to public safety or risk of flight, which then indicates if the immigrant will be held in custody. The research demonstrates that over time, the RCA algorithm has been manipulated to adversely affect immigrants’ status outcome. This presentation argues that the Trump administration’s actions resulted in the number of immigrants granted release to drastically plummet, causing unjustified incarceration. Furthermore, it dives deep into the shortcomings of the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s RCA tool and how its employment is unethical, unlawful, and has resulted in innumerable detrimental consequences to immigrants. To build an argument, this project is based on evidence presented by lawsuits against ICE, research papers, industry interviews, and immigrant testimonies. Additionally, this project uses its sources to give background information on how the algorithm functions and examples of inputs. As a result, the implications of this research reveals the Risk Classification Assessment should not be used as it has been by the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
Abstract
As of March 2019, the United States Department of Homeland Security held about 50,000 adult migrants in detention every day, and almost 375,000 immigrants were in detention during the 2019 fiscal year. Since 2013, whether an immigrant is detained or released is determined by an automated decision-making system, the Risk Classification Assessment (RCA). The RCA reportedly uses an automated algorithm to, in theory, determine an immigrant's threat to public safety or risk of flight, which then indicates if the immigrant will be held in custody. The research demonstrates that over time, the RCA algorithm has been manipulated to adversely affect immigrants’ status outcome. This presentation argues that the Trump administration’s actions resulted in the number of immigrants granted release to drastically plummet, causing unjustified incarceration. Furthermore, it dives deep into the shortcomings of the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s RCA tool and how its employment is unethical, unlawful, and has resulted in innumerable detrimental consequences to immigrants. To build an argument, this project is based on evidence presented by lawsuits against ICE, research papers, industry interviews, and immigrant testimonies. Additionally, this project uses its sources to give background information on how the algorithm functions and examples of inputs. As a result, the implications of this research reveals the Risk Classification Assessment should not be used as it has been by the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement.