Is the State of Mississippi's Proposal to Pay Bounties on Illegal Immigrants a Bridge Too Far?

The state of Mississippi may be considering proposed legislation to create a bounty system for tracking down and capturing illegal aliens.

A Mississippi district attorney proposed new legislation Wednesday to pay bounty hunters a reward for helping to deport immigrants in the country illegally.
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton announced his support for House Bill 1484, authored by state Rep. Justin Keen (R), which would create the Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program.
“We’ve seen firsthand the danger posed by bad actors and violent criminals who enter this country illegally, like the innocent life of Laken Riley,” Keen said in a statement.
“President Trump’s administration has made it clear that deporting illegal immigrants is a priority, and we are proud to do our part here in Mississippi to help support his agenda and protect our citizens.”

Keen makes a good point about preventable tragedies like the murder of Laken Riley, and the state of Mississippi is right to be concerned. The Trump administration is already cracking down - and we might note that Mississippi isn't the first state to come up with this idea. My colleague Rusty Weiss wrote about one other state pushing such a measure in 2024:

Weiss wrote:

A Missouri lawmaker is responding to criticism of legislation that would offer state residents $1,000 rewards for turning in illegal immigrants.
And he's not backing down.
State Senator-elect David Gregory (R) pre-filed Senate Bill 72, proposing a bounty hunter program where Americans could earn a substantial award for reporting illegal aliens to authorities.

For about a year-and-a-half after high school, I had a part-time gig repossessing cars for a local credit union. The job took me into some bad areas of places like Chicago and Gary, Indiana, and I had guns pointed at me twice. While I was doing that, I was approached by a middle-aged, rough-looking dude who worked for the bail bondsman down the street from the credit union who was looking for help.

This guy's thing was, when someone skipped on their bail and fled, he would track them down and bring them back. He called himself a "skip-tracer," but that line of work might be described as "bounty hunter." I declined after having lunch with the guy and hearing him out; repossessing cars was enough excitement.

The Mississippi bill in question, like the Missouri bill, likewise is offering a $1,000 reward for the capture of illegals by registered bounty hunters. Could this be a growth industry? As the Hill article linked above states:

Keen and Barton suggested offering a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they help facilitate, which would be funded by the general assembly and administered by the state treasurer, according to a press release from his office.

Is this a sensible measure? Granted, illegal immigration is one of the major issues of our time, an issue that contributed mightily to the reelection of President Trump - and in no small part because of President Biden's deliberate inaction on the border and immigration issues. And yes, crimes committed by illegals are a problem, a growing problem in many areas, not just border states.

But is this a bridge too far? Perhaps not. DeSoto county District Attorney Matthew Barton's press release on the measure describes "certified bounty hunters."

The bill, authored by State Representative Justin Keen from DeSoto County, is designed to allow certified bounty hunters to assist in identifying and reporting illegal aliens, ultimately helping to accelerate deportation efforts in line with the Trump Administration’s immigration priorities.

This will surely set off a flood of complaints from the left, including references to a certain old television Western starring Richard Boone. But the comparison (as with many such comparisons from the hysterical left) isn't an apt one. The press release describes, not the actual capture and detention of illegal immigrants, but merely the identifying and reporting - that's quite a different kettle of law-enforcement fish. And the bill limits the awards to "certified bounty hunters," implying there is a level of training required.

It's an interesting move. The issue of illegal aliens, illegal immigration, and what President Trump calls "migrant crime" is a serious one, and we might note that law enforcement has traditionally been done at the local and state level. While immigration is a federal issue, with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol having primary responsibility, there is a place for the states to pitch in. This might be a viable way to do that. The problem is, after all, big enough (thanks in no small part to the inept Biden administration) to call for a variety of enforcement approaches.