U.S. government mulls cash rewards for tracking undocumented migrants

According to a procurement document reviewed by The Intercept, ICE is exploring contracts with individuals and companies that would receive monetary rewards for identifying and locating undocumented migrants across the country.

The proposed plan would assign each contractor data packages for tracking 10,000 migrants at a time, with additional missions scaling up to a total of one million. The pricing model reportedly includes performance-based bonuses for speed and accuracy — for example, locating a person’s address correctly on the first attempt or identifying 90% of assigned targets within a set timeframe.

Earlier this year, Politico reported that Erik Prince, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, backed a private initiative to locate migrants — including a bounty-style program offering cash rewards to law enforcement officers for each undocumented immigrant they detain.

The system relies on “digital footprint tracking”, a data-intensive surveillance method that ICE already funds through multi-million-dollar contracts. Shared data may include government records, location details, social media activity, and even photos or documents revealing where individuals live or work.

The proposal outlines both physical and digital surveillance, allowing contractors to use commercial tracking tools for advanced location verification through automated and manual investigation. Due to the vast number of migrants targeted, ICE is reportedly considering awarding multiple contracts to private firms.

This initiative aligns with Trump’s campaign promises to crack down on immigration, deport undocumented people, and tighten the U.S.-Mexico border — goals that led ICE to set a daily target of at least 3,000 arrests of undocumented migrants.

What began as a campaign slogan has evolved into a nationwide enforcement operation, blurring legal boundaries. Arrests have increasingly included legal residents, visa holders, and international students, sometimes justified by vague reasons such as alleged visa irregularities or participation in pro-Palestine protests and other political demonstrations.

Critics warn that such actions criminalize dissent and expand immigration enforcement into universities and workplaces.

Within hours of taking office, Trump signed a series of sweeping executive orders reshaping U.S. immigration and border policy — canceling refugee flights, deploying troops to the southern border, and giving federal agents expanded powers to detain individuals in areas once considered off-limits, such as schools, courthouses, and workplaces.

Analysts say these measures send a troubling message to immigrant communities, marking a return to mass deportations as a defining feature of U.S. domestic policy — one with serious implications for America’s global image and its commitment to human rights.