Bill Summary
The "No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act" is a legislative proposal aimed at restricting the involvement of private contractors in enforcing immigration laws. The key provisions of the bill include:
1. **Prohibition on Contracts**: The Secretary of Homeland Security is prohibited from entering into new contracts or agreements with private entities for activities such as skip tracing, surveillance, or location verification related to civil immigration enforcement. Existing contracts that involve these activities must be terminated or amended to comply with the new restrictions.
2. **Subcontractor Limitations**: The prohibition extends to subcontractors, meaning that any contractor working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cannot use subcontractors to perform the activities banned under the bill.
3. **Federal Funding Restrictions**: Federal funds cannot be used to pay private entities on a per-person or bonus basis for locating individuals under civil immigration detainers. However, there is an exception for using publicly available data analytics tools under direct government supervision, provided that these tools do not involve field surveillance or prohibited activities.
4. **Audit Requirement**: The DHS Inspector General is mandated to audit existing contracts within 30 days of the bill's enactment to ensure compliance with the new limitations.
Overall, the legislation seeks to limit the role of private contractors in immigration enforcement, aiming to reduce reliance on potentially abusive practices and promote more accountable government oversight.
Possible Impacts
The "No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act" could affect people in various ways:
1. **Protection of Immigrant Communities**: By prohibiting private contractors from engaging in activities like skip tracing and surveillance for immigration enforcement, the legislation aims to reduce fear and anxiety within immigrant communities. This could lead to a safer environment where individuals feel less threatened by potential deportation and may be more willing to access essential services like healthcare or legal assistance without the fear of being targeted.
2. **Impact on Law Enforcement Practices**: The limitation on the use of Federal funds for private entities that locate individuals subject to immigration detainers may compel law enforcement agencies to adopt different strategies for handling immigration matters. This could lead to more reliance on traditional law enforcement methods, which may alter the dynamics between local police and federal immigration enforcement, potentially affecting community-police relations.
3. **Job Market and Contractor Dynamics**: The act's prohibition on contracting out immigration enforcement activities may lead to job losses or reduced income for companies and individuals currently engaged in these practices. Conversely, it could create opportunities for federal employees to take on these roles, thereby ensuring that immigration enforcement is conducted by government employees rather than private contractors, which could lead to increased accountability and oversight.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7161 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7161
To limit the use of Federal contractors to perform certain enforcement
activities under the immigration laws, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 20, 2026
Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To limit the use of Federal contractors to perform certain enforcement
activities under the immigration laws, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No Private Bounty Hunters for
Immigration Enforcement Act''.
SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF CONTRACTORS TO ENFORCE THE
IMMIGRATION LAWS.
(a) Prohibition on Certain DHS Contracts.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security--
(A) may not enter into any contract or memorandum
of understanding with any person after the date of the
enactment of this Act to perform skip tracing,
surveillance, or location verification for the purpose
of civil enforcement of the immigration laws; and
(B) shall--
(i) terminate any contract or memorandum of
understanding of the Department of Homeland
Security in effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act that provides for the performance
of skip tracing, surveillance, or location
verification for the purpose of civil
enforcement of the immigration law; and
(ii) amend any contract or memorandum of
understanding of the Department of Homeland
Security in effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act not described under clause (i) to
prohibit the performance of skip tracing,
surveillance, or location verification for the
purpose of civil enforcement of the immigration
laws under such contract or memorandum.
(2) Application to subcontractors.--No person with which
the Secretary of Homeland Security has a contract or memorandum
of understanding, or any subcontractor thereof at any tier, may
use a subcontractor to perform any function prohibited under
paragraph (1).
(b) Limitation on Use of Federal Funds.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), no
Federal funds may be used to pay a private entity on a per-
person or bonus basis for locating an individual who is subject
to a civil immigration detainer.
(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) does not apply to the use of
a publicly available data analytics tool operated solely by a
Federal contractor performing an administrative data management
function under direct Government supervision that does not
involve--
(A) field surveillance of, or personal contact
with, the individual subject to the detainer; or
(B) an activity prohibited under subsection (a).
(c) Audit.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security
shall conduct an audit of each contract of the Department of Homeland
Security to ensure that each such contract complies with the
limitations under this section.
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``skip tracing'' means
the practice of locating an individual using an address, employment
data, social-media, or other personal data.
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