US customs officials not offering $750 for tips about migrants

"DEVELOPING: ICE is allegedly offering $750 per illegal immigrant that you turn in through their tip form. You can call the ICE hotline at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423)," says a January 20, 2025 X post from a QAnon-promoting social media user who uses the pseudonym "Dom Lucre." 

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Screenshot from X taken January 27, 2025

The post accumulated more than 28,000 likes. The same claim has circulated elsewhere, on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Gettr.

In the days after Trump took office, immigration authorities already arrested hundreds of migrants living in the United States after Trump issued a flurry of executive orders cracking down on illegal entrants.

Some civic and religious leaders have criticized ICE raids on churches and schools, while officials have acknowledged that expelling all undocumented people living in the United States is not "realistic."

"There's consequences of entering the country illegally. If we don't show there's consequences, you're never going to fix the border problem," Trump's border czar Tom Homan said on ABC News' "This Week" program.

While ICE does have a phone hotline and online tip form where people can report suspected crimes, it does not offer a blanket monetary reward for tips that lead to an arrest (archived here).

No guaranteed rewards

The agency dismissed  the social media claims about offering compensation in a statement, saying: "Contrary to rumors, ICE is not giving a $750 reward for tips in support of civil immigration enforcement objectives." (archived here)

Criminal activity

While the claims about $750 payments are not accurate, ICE does occasionally incentivize tips about gang activity, child exploitation and other criminal behavior. The agency's online tip form states that while officials cannot guarantee payments in return for accurate information, ICE does have "statutory authorization" to pay some tipsters (archived here).

Federal law allows authorities to compensate people who report fraud or violations of customs laws, especially if it results in the seizure of smuggled goods. However, it does not explicitly mention rewards related to people unlawfully entering the United States (archived here).

ICE also maintains a "Most Wanted" list, with some rewards reaching into millions of dollars for particularly violent or infamous suspects (archived here).

AFP contacted ICE for further comment, but no response was forthcoming.

AFP has debunked other claims about migration here.