US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded a lucrative contract to Constellis Holdings, the parent company of Academi - formerly known as Blackwater - to track down targeted immigrants across the country. This move is seen as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to outsource immigration enforcement to private contractors.
According to federal procurement documents reviewed by The Intercept, ICE has inked a deal with Constellis to provide "skip tracing" services, which involve tracking and locating individuals who are believed to be in the country illegally. The company will receive monetary bounties for turning over the whereabouts of specified immigrants as quickly as possible.
Constellis was formed in 2014 through the merger of Academi and Triple Canopy, another rival mercenary contractor. The combined companies have reaped billions from contracts guarding foreign military installations, embassies, and domestic properties, as well as work for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. spy agencies.
The move to outsource immigration enforcement to private contractors is seen as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the free press and undermine the rule of law. Critics argue that this approach is unconstitutional and will have disastrous consequences for the country's most vulnerable populations.
The Intercept has reported on the disturbing trend of authoritarianism under the Trump administration, including court orders being ignored, MAGA loyalists taking charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Government Efficiency stripping Congress of its power.
This latest move by ICE raises concerns about the use of private contractors in immigration enforcement, particularly those with a history of violent behavior. The Intercept has exposed widespread human rights abuses committed by Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The company's involvement in this contract is also seen as part of a broader effort to privatize immigration enforcement, which would have significant implications for the country's most vulnerable populations. The Intercept urges readers to take action to protect the free press and defend democracy in the face of this growing threat.
According to federal procurement documents reviewed by The Intercept, ICE has inked a deal with Constellis to provide "skip tracing" services, which involve tracking and locating individuals who are believed to be in the country illegally. The company will receive monetary bounties for turning over the whereabouts of specified immigrants as quickly as possible.
Constellis was formed in 2014 through the merger of Academi and Triple Canopy, another rival mercenary contractor. The combined companies have reaped billions from contracts guarding foreign military installations, embassies, and domestic properties, as well as work for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. spy agencies.
The move to outsource immigration enforcement to private contractors is seen as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the free press and undermine the rule of law. Critics argue that this approach is unconstitutional and will have disastrous consequences for the country's most vulnerable populations.
The Intercept has reported on the disturbing trend of authoritarianism under the Trump administration, including court orders being ignored, MAGA loyalists taking charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Government Efficiency stripping Congress of its power.
This latest move by ICE raises concerns about the use of private contractors in immigration enforcement, particularly those with a history of violent behavior. The Intercept has exposed widespread human rights abuses committed by Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The company's involvement in this contract is also seen as part of a broader effort to privatize immigration enforcement, which would have significant implications for the country's most vulnerable populations. The Intercept urges readers to take action to protect the free press and defend democracy in the face of this growing threat.
ICE is just making it easier for companies with a history of violence & human rights abuses to track down ppl who are already vulnerable - what's next? private contractors watching our neighborhoods too? 
i dont get why we need these mercenary firms doing immigration enforcement, cant we just have the government handle it? 
this is exactly what happens when you let corporate interests influence policy...
. It's like, hello? We're supposed to be a country that values freedom and compassion, not some sort of lawless land where companies get paid to hunt down immigrants 
.
? I mean, come on! We need to be holding our leaders accountable for this kind of behavior, not just letting them get away with it. 
It's like, we're supposed to trust that they have our best interests at heart, but really, it feels like they're just looking out for their own bottom line 
.
. Who's with me?
. It's just a recipe for disaster when you've got powerful interests at play.
. It's just a slippery slope, folks 
.
what if they can't even track down their own people let alone someone who's hiding from them? isn't that just more money for companies like Constellis? 
i mean, are we really paying these private contractors to find immigrants because it's good for the country or just so the government doesn't have to deal with the problem itself? 
. And the fact that they're offering bounties for info on specific immigrants? It's just so... twisted 
. I think we need to raise our voices and say something about this ASAP 
. We can't let our country become a place where private companies have more power than our own government 
these contractors have a history of shady dealings, and now we're giving them carte blanche to track down immigrants across the country? 
it's like the government is trying to create a private police state... but at what cost? to who?
This is a super bad idea 
! They're gonna let private companies like Constellis just run wild 
and cause even more harm to people who are already in a tough spot 
. We need real solutions, not just ways for corporations to profit from other people's suffering 
just saw that ICE gave a contract to Constellis Holdings, the parent company of Academi, to track down targeted immigrants 
They're already talking about "privatizing" immigration enforcement, which means more chaos and potential human rights abuses. And can we talk about how messed up this is from a constitutional standpoint? I mean, isn't that what law enforcement is supposed to do - protect the country, not profit off of it?! 
to deal with ppl who are just tryin' to make a life for themselves... and the fact that they'll be paid bounties for turnin' over people is straight up wrong 
. and the whole thing reeks of authoritarianism - like, they're tryin' to dismantle the free press and undermine the rule of law... it's a recipe for disaster 
can't believe they're outsourcing our borders to some mercenary company! It's like we're giving them a license to hunt down people just because they're here without papers