US Lawmaker Cautions Against Outsourcing Immigration Enforcement to Bounty Hunters
A US lawmaker has expressed grave concerns over a plan by the US Department of Homeland Security to award monetary bonuses to private bounty hunters, which would deploy investigators to track down immigrants residing inside the country. The proposal has sparked worries about accountability and the potential for abuse.
Under the plan, companies would be contracted to provide "skip tracing" services that involve conducting surveillance on immigrants and pinpointing their home addresses. Bounty hunters could earn bonus payments based on how many immigrants they help apprehend and how quickly. However, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has written a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, stating that the outsourcing proposal raises serious questions about accountability.
Krishnamoorthi's concerns center on the lack of oversight and transparency in the proposed system. He fears that private contractors would operate with little scrutiny, discipline, or public accountability, which could lead to abuses, secrecy, and corruption. The lawmaker also worries that this system would further blur the line between federal authority and the private sector, adding a corporate profit motive to the government's domestic immigration operations.
In his letter, Krishnamoorthi notes that mistakes are not just possible but certain in such a system built on quotas and cash rewards with minimal oversight. The pressure to hit numbers would replace judgment, training, and accountability that should define real law enforcement. He has asked Noem to clarify questions about how the private bounty hunter system would work, including whether contractors will be required to identify themselves as agents of the federal government.
The ICE department did not respond to Krishnamoorthi's inquiry, stating that the Request for Information is solely for planning purposes and does not restrict the Government to any acquisition approach.
A US lawmaker has expressed grave concerns over a plan by the US Department of Homeland Security to award monetary bonuses to private bounty hunters, which would deploy investigators to track down immigrants residing inside the country. The proposal has sparked worries about accountability and the potential for abuse.
Under the plan, companies would be contracted to provide "skip tracing" services that involve conducting surveillance on immigrants and pinpointing their home addresses. Bounty hunters could earn bonus payments based on how many immigrants they help apprehend and how quickly. However, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has written a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, stating that the outsourcing proposal raises serious questions about accountability.
Krishnamoorthi's concerns center on the lack of oversight and transparency in the proposed system. He fears that private contractors would operate with little scrutiny, discipline, or public accountability, which could lead to abuses, secrecy, and corruption. The lawmaker also worries that this system would further blur the line between federal authority and the private sector, adding a corporate profit motive to the government's domestic immigration operations.
In his letter, Krishnamoorthi notes that mistakes are not just possible but certain in such a system built on quotas and cash rewards with minimal oversight. The pressure to hit numbers would replace judgment, training, and accountability that should define real law enforcement. He has asked Noem to clarify questions about how the private bounty hunter system would work, including whether contractors will be required to identify themselves as agents of the federal government.
The ICE department did not respond to Krishnamoorthi's inquiry, stating that the Request for Information is solely for planning purposes and does not restrict the Government to any acquisition approach.
like what if they start tracking down ppl in their own neighborhoods or something its so sketchy how can we trust these private bounty hunters? theyre basically being paid to catch ppl who are already scared and alone 
also what about the ppl with disabilities or mental health issues who might be harder to track down its a total recipe for disaster 
Bounty hunters with a cash reward? Sounds like a recipe for disaster! 
How are we gonna know they're doing it by the book, eh? Accountability's key here... or is it just about lining pockets? 
. I mean, shouldn't our law enforcement be focused on keeping us safe rather than just chasing after people who aren't even breaking any laws? It's like we're outsourcing justice to private companies 
... which can only lead to more problems and abuses of power 
... it just doesn't feel right to me 
.
no way, dude! accountability is key here. we need to make sure these contractors are held accountable for their actions, not just slapping a badge on them and calling it a day 
this whole thing feels super dodgy to me - like they're trying to solve a complex issue with some shady workarounds. I mean, what's next? Outsourcing prison sentence monitoring to private companies that get paid per inmate? It sounds like we'd be losing any semblance of accountability in the process... the idea that these bounty hunters would have little oversight and could just be chasing after people based on numbers rather than actual wrongdoing just seems messed up 
no way would that work in real life. it's all about accountability, right? 
but under this system, who's really watching their back? private contractors with no public oversight is a recipe for disaster. 
and what if they start prioritizing the quota over actually doing the job correctly? that's just not good enough. I think Krishnamoorthi is totally on point here... we need to make sure our law enforcement is handled by actual professionals, not just anyone with a profit motive in mind 
and I saw some of the most beautiful wildflowers I've ever seen! And it made me think, have you guys ever noticed how many Americans love their national parks? It's crazy how we're always talking about preserving our natural resources, but what about the wildlife that lives there? Like, I was reading this article about the impact of climate change on bear populations... 
anyway, back to the immigration thing. I don't know if I'd be against bounty hunters in general, but this whole system just seems really weird to me. Like, wouldn't it be better to just have real law enforcement? 
. And what about the poor immigrants who might get caught in this trap? They deserve better protection than some corporate profiteer trying to make a quick buck 
. It's time for Congress to step up and say no to this proposal 
. And I don't think it's a good idea for companies to be paid bonuses based on how many people they catch... that sounds like a recipe for corruption. We need to make sure our school has systems in place to protect everyone, not just the ones with deep pockets 
think about how many people get wrongly detained or mistreated when some corporate profiteer decides 2 "track" dem down for a cash prize 
. And don't even get me started on the whole 'cash rewards' thing... it's just begging for corruption 
? That's basically just a recruitment drive for the most ruthless and opportunistic individuals out there. And what happens when someone gets hurt or wrongfully detained in the process? 
No accountability, no oversight... it's like a corporate profit motive being pitted against public safety 
. What if these bounty hunters start playing by their own rules and ignoring federal law? 
. This plan just doesn't add up, folks... 
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