Bounty Hunters? They’re the Last Thing ICE Would Need

The Department of Homeland Security appears to be considering a terrifying new escalation of its mass deportation campaign. The Intercept, a nonprofit investigative media outlet, has reported on and obtained DHS documents showing that the department is considering the use of bounty hunters, who would be paid to track and verify the locations of people the department seeks to arrest.

The department has not confirmed whether it is going ahead, but the idea is fraught with legal and moral problems that should prompt it to reconsider. Using bounty hunters to help deport people would only further break down the transparency expected in a democracy. And it would create additional fear and confusion at a time when many immigration agents — wearing neck buffs and civilian clothes — are already too hard to identify.