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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7161

Congress Proposes Ban on Private Companies Tracking and Locating Immigrants for Profit

No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill, introduced by Representative Krishnamoorthi, would stop the Department of Homeland Security from hiring private companies to track down or watch people for immigration cases. It specifically bans 'skip tracing,' which is when companies use social media, work history, or personal data to find someone's location.
  • The proposal would force the government to cancel any current contracts that involve private companies doing surveillance or location checks for immigration enforcement. It also prevents these companies from hiring other smaller companies to do the work instead.
  • The bill bans the government from paying private companies 'bounties' or bonuses for every person they find who is wanted for an immigration violation. This is meant to stop companies from making more money based on how many people they help the government locate.
  • Private companies could still provide basic data tools for the government to manage its own records, as long as those companies aren't doing the actual field work or making personal contact with people.
  • If passed, the Department of Homeland Security's watchdog would have 30 days to check all existing contracts to make sure they follow these new rules.
ImmigrationData PrivacyCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(4)
Immigrant
Helps

Stops private companies from tracking and surveilling immigrants for profit, reducing invasive bounty-style enforcement.

Undocumented
Helps

Bans private contractors from using personal data to locate undocumented individuals, and ends per-person bounty payments.

Visa Holder
Helps

Visa holders subject to civil immigration cases would no longer be tracked by private surveillance contractors.

Green Card
Helps

Green card holders facing civil immigration issues gain protection from private company tracking and surveillance.

Broader Impacts

Score
Scores: -5 (harmful) to +5 (beneficial)Short-term: 0-2 yearsLong-term: 10-30 years

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jan 20, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced in House

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act

Bill NumberHR 7161
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(3)
D: 3

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.