ICE Denies Paying Bounty Hunters to Detain Immigrants
ICE refuted rumors claiming the agency pays bounty hunters to detain undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Posted on 26/06/2025 at 22:50
- ICE: Rumor about the agency is false
- No contracts with bounty hunters
- Authorities deny payment for arrests
In January 2025, a man identifying himself as a bounty hunter publicly stated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would pay up to $1,500 per undocumented person turned in.
The statement, made during a conference in Sunnyside, Washington, went viral months later on social media.
However, an investigation found no evidence of any formal ICE plan to authorize or compensate bounty hunters.
ICE Denies Paying Bounty Hunters
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What One of the Alleged Bounty Hunters Said About ICE:
Martin Alvarado, speaking to a crowd in Sunnyside, claimed:
«My name is Martin Alvarado, I’m a professional bounty hunter. I was contacted by my agency—I’m from Seattle—Tacoma called me and said this is the first wave. In the second and third, they’ll start hiring us. ICE is going to hire us bounty hunters and pay us $1,500 to $1,000 per illegal.»
«How will they stop us? We don’t need to worry about court orders, we don’t have to follow many laws, and if we’re authorized by ICE, we can basically do whatever we want.»
«They’re already creating squads as we speak, that’s why they called me. So, when I get back to my squad in Tacoma, we’ll be going around the state. $1,000 per illegal is a good price for doing something you enjoy.»
«What are you going to do to stop it? Will you pay us $2,000 to leave you alone?»
Official Response
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded:
«This is fake news, and anyone impersonating a federal officer will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.»
Sunnyside City Administrator Mike Gonzalez ordered Alvarado to be removed from the venue and added:
«There are no bounty hunters working with ICE. That guy was a bit off and I think he just wanted to stir things up.»
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What We Know About Bounty Hunters
Chuck Jordan, president of the National Association of Fugitive Recovery Agents (NAFRA), clarified that ICE does not authorize or pay bounty hunters.
Instead, immigration bail bond agents can hire bounty hunters to locate individuals who have violated the terms of their release, such as skipping a court appearance. Jordan explained:
“Bounty hunters working within the bail bond system can arrest undocumented individuals released by ICE on bond—but only if they’ve been contracted by the issuing bail agent.”
Furthermore, the Tacoma Police Department, which Alvarado cited as his supposed source, stated that it has «no information supporting those claims.»
The Legal Context
According to an 1872 Supreme Court decision (Taylor v. Taintor), bail bond agents may use “reasonable and necessary force” to apprehend individuals who violate bail conditions.
This includes acting without a court order, but their authority is strictly limited to contractual cases and does not equate to being federal agents.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that ICE is hiring bounty hunters to detain immigrants.
Alvarado’s claims have not been confirmed by any official source or reliable media outlet, and both ICE and local authorities have publicly denied the narrative.
Do you think claims like this should be more thoroughly investigated, even after being officially debunked?
SOURCE: SNOPES
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