U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun contracting private companies to locate and verify the whereabouts of non-citizens on its enforcement docket, according to procurement records and reporting by The Intercept. The initiative relies on “skip tracing” and address verification services, a practice commonly used by debt collectors and private investigators, in which contractors combine commercial databases, digital tracking tools, and physical observation to confirm where a person lives or works. ICE records indicate the program is designed to operate at scale, with the agency planning to process cases in large batches and potentially target up to 1.5 million people nationwide.

Under the contracts, ICE shares case information with private firms, which are then tasked with producing verified location data for Enforcement and Removal Operations. The work includes database searches, social media and public records analysis, and in some cases in-person surveillance to confirm an individual’s presence at a specific address. Government documents describe these services as part of a broader outsourcing of enforcement support functions that were previously handled internally by the agency.

Among the contractors is BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of the for-profit prison company GEO Group, which has received payments for location verification work and could earn more than $120 million by the end of the contract period in 2027. GEO Group already plays a significant role in the immigration enforcement system through detention facilities and electronic monitoring, meaning it now stands to generate revenue from both tracking and detaining immigrants. Other firms involved include companies with backgrounds in military contracting, intelligence analysis, and private investigation, several of which have previously worked with the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, or U.S. intelligence agencies.

Some contractors have promoted advanced technological capabilities in their bids and public materials, including automated data analysis and artificial intelligence tools designed to rapidly generate leads and map personal networks. Procurement filings show that ICE expects contractors to integrate these tools with traditional investigative methods to deliver frequent and detailed location updates. While the contracts require compliance with existing privacy and data protection laws, ICE has not publicly released detailed information on oversight mechanisms or how accuracy and abuse will be monitored in practice.

The expansion of these contracts comes alongside a sharp increase in ICE’s budget and enforcement ambitions, following policy directives to accelerate deportations. Financial disclosures reviewed by reporters show that the ten firms hired to date have already earned more than $1 million collectively and could make over $1 billion if all contract options are exercised. The scale and structure of the program highlight a growing reliance on private industry to carry out core elements of U.S. immigration enforcement, blurring the line between government authority and profit-driven surveillance services.