Norelly Mejías stood in her hallway as federal agents pointed guns at her chest and ordered her to open her eyes for a digital scan. According to reports from the University of Chicago Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Mejías is one of many targets in a new biometric sweep. The Department of Homeland Security is currently spending millions of dollars to acquire 1,500 new iris scanners. The agency told NPR in a statement that the technology is used to "accurately identify individuals" during mass deportation and removal operations.

Privacy experts are sounding the alarm over the database where these iris scans are stored. The DHS request for the scanners included access to a mobile app that allows agents to check identities against a federal biometric vault in real-time. While the agency refuses to pay 240,000 employees their basic salary, it has found the capital to purchase these high-tech tools. The scanners require subjects to hold their eyes open under harsh light for several seconds to capture the unique patterns of the iris.

This technology is the new face of the "Hollow State." The administration has financialized the deportation process by issuing $18,000 fines for missed hearings to underwrite federal liabilities. While the physical guards at the border remain unpaid, the automated surveillance apparatus is flush with cash. According to the filing, the agency is prioritizing biometric data collection over the basic needs of its workforce, turning the immigration system into a high-tech extraction machine.