The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considering a new proposal that would involve hiring private contractors, described by some as “bounty hunters,” to help locate undocumented migrants. This information comes from a procurement document reviewed by The Intercept. The plan would allow multiple private companies to assist ICE with tracking and confirming the whereabouts of migrants across the country.
This proposal is part of a larger push by the administration to speed up deportation operations. Under the plan, private contractors would conduct what is known as skip tracing, which involves finding people whose location is unknown. They would use government-provided case data, commercial data verification tools, and sometimes physical observation to confirm addresses or workplaces.
According to the document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the contractors would help ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) unit verify address information, investigate alternative locations, and deliver documents to migrants. The contractors would also be required to report updated location details if a migrant has moved or cannot be found at the listed address.
Why is ICE considering private bounty hunters?
It is because ICE says it does not have enough manpower to track the growing number of unresolved migrant cases.
What does this mean for undocumented migrants?
It could lead to faster location tracking and potentially more deportation actions.
The proposal includes financial incentives for contractors. They may receive higher payments if they confirm an address or workplace on the first attempt. There are also possible bonus rewards for companies that submit reports quickly—such as within 48 hours—or achieve a high rate of verified deliveries, including obtaining signatures or documenting refusals.
The document also states that private vendors could receive very large caseloads. One assignment could include details of 10,000 individuals at once, with the possibility of total assignments reaching up to one million cases. To manage this scale, ICE plans to divide the workload among several contractors across the country.
Supporters of the plan say it will help reduce case backlogs and improve the government’s ability to enforce immigration laws. However, critics warn that using private contractors for enforcement work could lead to aggressive tracking practices, privacy concerns, and potential mistakes that may affect vulnerable migrants.
This development highlights how the government is increasingly turning to private-sector partnerships to expand immigration enforcement. As the debate over migrant rights and border policies continues, the proposal has sparked discussions about the transparency and accountability of outsourcing such critical duties.