NYCLU sues ICE over changes to immigrant risk assessment algorithm

The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement over changes to the agency’s Risk Classification Assessment (RCA) software, which is used when ICE detains someone for deportation proceedings. The tool provides an algorithm-based recommendation on whether an immigrant should be detained in jail until they can see a judge — or whether they can instead be released on bond in the interim. But the NYCLU claims that in 2017, ICE altered the RCA so that it overwhelmingly started to favor detention over release. It became the default, guaranteed recommendation even for people with little or no criminal history. “The program now automatically recommends that all immigrants be detained,” the... Continue reading…