No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act

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.