The United States government is preparing to dramatically widen its digital tracking of immigrants after Immigration and Customs Enforcement lifted a previous 180 million dollar cap on a controversial surveillance program. The new ceiling reaches a potential 280 million dollars, with ICE signaling that private security contractors will play a central role in monitoring migrants awaiting immigration proceedings.

The expansion, first reported by Wired, marks one of the most significant shifts in U.S. immigration enforcement since the pandemic era and raises sharp questions about accountability, data privacy and the outsourcing of state surveillance to private firms. The new framework would allow companies contracted by ICE to operate what critics have started calling a “bounty hunter style” tracking system, combining high-tech tools with financial incentives tied to performance and compliance metrics.

Officials familiar with the proposal say ICE intends to make the program a national backbone for monitoring undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers and individuals released from federal detention pending court hearings. The system would reportedly integrate mobile tracking applications, location-based check-ins, facial-recognition driven reporting systems and data-sharing across federal and local agencies.

Supporters within government argue that the expansion is needed to reduce detention costs and improve compliance rates for immigration court appearances, a long-standing challenge for the U.S. system. They insist the program is not designed to punish migrants but to ensure oversight at scale, particularly as the number of pending immigration cases exceeds three million.

Civil liberties groups, however, say the new structure goes far beyond oversight. They argue that ICE is effectively creating a massive private surveillance network, one that profits when migrants remain under monitoring and risks replicating the excesses of earlier contractor-run detention programs.

Privacy experts point out that private surveillance firms historically operate with fewer transparency requirements than government bodies. Unlike federal agencies that must comply with oversight from Congress, internal watchdogs and the Freedom of Information Act, private contractors are largely shielded from public scrutiny. That has intensified fears that personal data collected from vulnerable migrant groups could be mishandled, stored indefinitely or shared across networks beyond the scope of immigration enforcement.

The revised funding arrangement guarantees multimillion-dollar payouts for participating companies regardless of how many individuals are enrolled. This structure, analysts say, may encourage aggressive expansion of tracking practices and place more migrants under electronic monitoring even when they pose no security risk.

Under the previous cap, ICE’s pilot program focused on a limited pool of migrants using smartphone apps and check-in software. The expanded design is expected to include remote monitoring technologies similar to those used in the criminal justice system, including geofencing alerts and automated status reporting. Migrant advocates argue that the technology creates a form of “digital detention”, imposing restrictions that mimic probation or house-arrest conditions.

Wired’s reporting highlights growing concern that the system could evolve into a parallel enforcement arm, one powered by private incentives rather than public oversight. The comparison to “bounty hunter” models stems from the program’s structure, which links financial returns to tracking outcomes. Critics warn this could lead firms to aggressively pursue immigrants who miss check-ins, even in cases involving technical issues, language barriers or unstable living conditions.

The impact on immigrant communities is expected to be substantial. Many asylum seekers rely on inconsistent access to smartphones, internet connections and stable housing, all of which can affect compliance with digital reporting systems. Advocacy organisations warn that technical failures could trigger unnecessary enforcement actions, including re-detention.

Policy analysts note that the move fits within a broader trend of increasing reliance on surveillance technologies across U.S. domestic security operations. Under the current administration, federal agencies have invested heavily in digital identification tools, cross-border data systems and automated analysis platforms designed to streamline enforcement at scale.

What sets the ICE program apart is its breadth, cost and reliance on private contractors. With the 280 million dollar ceiling now in place, officials expect the first major contract awards to be finalised within months. Several major security technology firms are already competing for the role, including companies with long histories supplying electronic-monitoring equipment to prisons and probation systems.

For lawmakers, the development has revived debates around the limits of private involvement in federal surveillance. Some legislators argue that contractor-run monitoring systems weaken democratic oversight and create perverse incentives. Others maintain that the program represents a cost-effective alternative to detention that may reduce overcrowding and operational pressure on immigration facilities nationwide.

As the policy moves toward implementation, immigrant rights groups say they will push for clear transparency rules, strict data-handling protections and an independent review process to prevent abuse. For now, the government’s plan signals a decisive shift in U.S. immigration enforcement, one that blends digital surveillance with private-sector muscle on an unprecedented scale.