Decolonizing AI at the U.S. border

A report by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and UC Irvine law clinics examines how artificial intelligence systems used in U.S. border enforcement and immigration control disproportionately harm Black migrants and migrants of color through algorithmic bias. The study argues that AI technologies employed throughout the immigration process—from surveillance towers and drones at borders to facial recognition apps and risk assessment algorithms—systematically discriminate against darker-skinned individuals and non-English speakers while violating international anti-discrimination treaties the U.S. has ratified. The organizations advocate for a "decolonial approach" to AI development that centers African philosophical frameworks and ensures affected communities participate in designing these systems.