US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is on the verge of hiring private bounty hunters to track down immigrants across the country. This new development comes after a procurement document was reviewed by The Intercept, which revealed plans for a potentially lucrative contract opportunity.
According to the plan, bounty hunters will be given bundles of information on tens of thousands of immigrants at a time and tasked with locating them. Further assignments will be provided in "increments of 10,000 up to 1,000,000." This approach is seen as an effort to encourage quick results, with potential contractors receiving "monetary bonuses" based on their performance.
The document highlights the use of skip-tracing techniques, a method that involves using available information to locate people. This approach has been criticized for its lack of transparency and potential for abuse. Under the plan, bounty hunters will be required to verify the accuracy of an immigrant's home address, including "time-stamped photographs of the location."
The proposal also includes the use of digital surveillance tools, such as those that ingest and track mobile phone location data. This technology is already being used by ICE and other law enforcement agencies.
Critics have expressed concerns about the potential for human rights abuses under this plan. The Intercept notes that the government's consideration of a bounty program raises questions about the accountability of contractors and the impact on immigrant communities.
As the US continues to grapple with issues of immigration and border security, it is essential to examine the implications of such plans and ensure that they align with democratic values and human rights standards.
According to the plan, bounty hunters will be given bundles of information on tens of thousands of immigrants at a time and tasked with locating them. Further assignments will be provided in "increments of 10,000 up to 1,000,000." This approach is seen as an effort to encourage quick results, with potential contractors receiving "monetary bonuses" based on their performance.
The document highlights the use of skip-tracing techniques, a method that involves using available information to locate people. This approach has been criticized for its lack of transparency and potential for abuse. Under the plan, bounty hunters will be required to verify the accuracy of an immigrant's home address, including "time-stamped photographs of the location."
The proposal also includes the use of digital surveillance tools, such as those that ingest and track mobile phone location data. This technology is already being used by ICE and other law enforcement agencies.
Critics have expressed concerns about the potential for human rights abuses under this plan. The Intercept notes that the government's consideration of a bounty program raises questions about the accountability of contractors and the impact on immigrant communities.
As the US continues to grapple with issues of immigration and border security, it is essential to examine the implications of such plans and ensure that they align with democratic values and human rights standards.
This is a super sketchy plan! I don't think it's right for the government to outsource tracking down people who are just trying to make a new life for themselves. It's like they're treating humans like fugitives or something 
. The fact that bounty hunters can get monetary bonuses for finding people is just crazy talk 
. What if these guys start chasing immigrants around the country, putting them in danger? It's also super suspicious that they want to use digital surveillance tools to track phone location data... that sounds like a total invasion of privacy 
. We need to make sure our government is protecting human rights and not just going after people who are vulnerable 
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. Need some serious oversight ASAP, or we're gonna have a major human rights disaster on our hands 
. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie. I get it, we need to keep our borders secure, but this is just not the right way to do it. We should be focusing on finding solutions that don't involve exploiting vulnerable communities or compromising our values.
It's like we're living in a dystopian novel or something.
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, think it's a great idea! Who doesn't love a good game of cat and mouse? I mean, if you're a fugitive, shouldn't you want to be found out? It's only fair that the government puts its money where its mouth is and cracks down on those who break the rules. And let's be real, bounty hunters are pros at their job, they know what they're doing 
. The fact that they'll get monetary bonuses for finding people is just a nice touch, it's like a reward for a job well done 
. I'm not buying all the hype about human rights abuses, if you're breaking the law, you should expect to be caught 
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. I mean, I get it, they wanna catch people but this is just crazy talk! They should be working on fixing the system instead of trying to track down people like they're some kinda fugitives 
. I don't know about the home address thing but that's just creepy... 
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what's next? private cops tracking down people on the streets? 
We need to make sure we're not creating a system that's more about profiting off of people than actually helping them. 
. I mean, what happens if these bounty hunters misidentify someone or start causing trouble? And with the use of digital surveillance tools, it's just creepy 
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ICE thinks they can just outsource their problems to private companies and turn a profit off the backs of immigrants? It's disgusting. And let's be real, this is just another example of how the system is rigged against people who already are being targeted. 
. And have you seen those photos they need to verify home addresses with? Time-stamped and everything... it's like something out of a dystopian movie 
. And what about accountability? Who's going to make sure these contractors aren't abusing their power or violating human rights? It's like they think the immigrants will just magically disappear if we turn a blind eye 
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. And yeah, I know some of these plans sound sketchy, but maybe there's a way to make it work without compromising human rights? 
Like, what if they partnered with organizations that actually care about immigrant communities and help them find resources? That would be a win in my book 
. But for real though, we gotta keep an eye on this and make sure our democracy is all about transparency and accountability 
. Let's take a step back and think this through before we make any big decisions 
The government's decision to hire private bounty hunters has raised serious concerns about accountability and human rights. Using technology to track down immigrants without proper oversight can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities. We need to ensure that any plan put in place aligns with democratic values and protects the rights of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status. 
... this plan has all the makings of a disaster. We need to make sure that if anyone is going to track down people, it's done in a way that respects their rights and doesn't cause harm