As former President Donald Trump ramps up his 2024 campaign rhetoric and policy proposals, immigration remains a central theme. Alongside familiar promises of tougher border enforcement and mass deportations, there's a new twist to the strategy: artificial intelligence.

With AI technology advancing rapidly, the Trump-aligned camp is looking to integrate intelligent systems into a new phase of immigration enforcement that emphasizes surveillance, rapid data analysis, and predictive tracking. While AI promises efficiency, critics warn of civil liberties risks, racial bias, and a lack of transparency.

AI-Driven Border Surveillance

At the forefront of the tech deployment is AI-powered surveillance infrastructure. According to officials close to Trump’s policy advisors, there’s a renewed push for "smart walls" — a concept that replaces physical barriers with a network of ground sensors, drones, and automated cameras.

Using machine learning, these systems can detect human movement across large swaths of remote borderland, flagging anomalies in real time. AI software processes thermal imaging and pattern recognition, alerting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents more quickly than traditional patrols.

“The idea is fewer boots on the ground, more eyes in the sky,” said a former DHS official who worked on early iterations of the program. “Trump’s team wants to lean hard on AI to make border enforcement cheaper and more scalable.”

Biometric Expansion and Facial Recognition

Trump’s immigration plan also appears to endorse the expansion of biometric tracking. AI is playing a key role in real-time facial recognition at ports of entry and internal checkpoints. Databases of visa holders, overstays, and previously deported individuals are being cross-referenced faster than ever, aided by machine learning algorithms.

Facial recognition systems — already deployed in over a dozen major U.S. airports — are being tested for use in broader immigration enforcement, including possible workplace raids and ICE operations.

However, civil liberties groups have raised alarms. “Facial recognition isn’t neutral,” warned an ACLU technology analyst. “These systems are less accurate with people of color and can lead to wrongful detentions — especially when used at scale by immigration authorities.”

Predictive Policing and Data Analytics

Perhaps the most controversial AI application in Trump’s plan is predictive analytics — using historical immigration data to forecast potential “high-risk” areas or individuals. AI models crunch visa data, social media activity, travel patterns, and law enforcement records to flag people for investigation or monitoring.

While supporters argue that this leads to better prioritization of enforcement resources, critics say it turns immigration policing into a high-tech dragnet. “This isn’t targeted enforcement; it’s pre-crime profiling,” said a technology ethicist at MIT. “And the data isn’t always accurate.”

Partnerships with Private Tech Firms

Much of this AI infrastructure is not built in-house by government agencies. Instead, private companies — including several Silicon Valley startups and defense contractors — are supplying AI tools for everything from drone surveillance to database management. Some firms have quietly signed contracts with ICE and CBP in recent years, prompting protests from tech employees and watchdog groups.

“Big Tech is complicit,” said a representative from Tech Workers Coalition. “They sell surveillance tools under the radar, and Trump’s return is likely to accelerate that pipeline.”

Legal and Political Pushback

Trump’s proposed immigration crackdown, powered by AI, is already facing legal scrutiny. Courts are expected to examine whether certain applications of AI violate the Fourth Amendment, particularly around mass surveillance and warrantless tracking. Moreover, if Trump returns to the White House, Democrats in Congress are likely to challenge his tech-enhanced immigration agenda on grounds of due process and transparency.

Still, the fusion of AI and immigration enforcement may be inevitable, regardless of who holds power. “The technology is here, and both parties have used it,” said a Georgetown law professor. “But Trump’s plan aims to weaponize it in ways we’ve never seen before — with unprecedented scale and speed.”

Editor’s Note: This article is based on expert interviews, publicly available government contracts, and reporting from multiple immigration and technology policy sources. Names have been withheld in some cases for privacy and security concerns.