A Mississippi state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would grant bounty hunters cash rewards for helping deport undocumented migrants in the state.
Concretely, state Rep. Justin Keen, a Republican, is seeking to give $1,000 in state funds for every person they help get deported, according to a statement from DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton and reported by The Washington Post.
"The idea came about from just trying, I guess, to provide support for that agenda on a local and state level because ICE only has so many people," Barton said when discussing the initiative.
While it is unclear whether the bill has any chances of passing, it further illustrates how Republican-led states are seeking to aid the Trump administration's efforts to conduct the "largest deportation operation in American history" and, in some cases, get civilians involved.
Before Trump's inauguration Tim Foley, leader of Arizona Border Recon, a civilian patrol group operating in Arizona's Altar Valley, told Wired he has been in contact with the incoming Trump administration and expects to serve as a "valuable resource".
Arizona Border Recon employs tracking methods, trail cameras, drones, and other surveillance tools to gather intelligence, which Foley believes could complement federal enforcement strategies. He noted that the group's volunteers have extensive experience patrolling the border and gathering real-time intelligence, which he views as critical for immigration enforcement.
The incoming "border czar," Thomas Homan, recently acknowledged significant civilian interest in supporting these efforts in an interview with Fox News: "There's a lot of good patriots. Thousands of retired agents, border patrol agents, retired military who have volunteered to help secure the border."
Militias have historically patrolled border areas, detaining migrants and reporting them to authorities. In some instances, local law enforcement has tacitly or openly collaborated with these groups. Veterans on Patrol (VOP), another border group based in Pima County, also expressed intent to continue operations to Wired, claiming their practices are rooted in combating trafficking and unlawful crossings.
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