The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to open a national call center in Nashville, Tennessee, to assist local and state law enforcement agencies in locating unaccompanied migrant children who entered the country illegally. According to a federal contracting document released this week, ICE expressed an immediate need for a 24/7 call center while managing expectations to handle between 6,000 to 7,000 calls daily.
The proposed call center is expected to be operational by the end of March and fully functional by June. ICE is soliciting information on interested vendors and the technology they can provide to maximize call efficiency, highlighting the urgency of the initiative amid ongoing immigration challenges.
Moreover, ICE has issued additional notices seeking vendors capable of transporting thousands of detainees daily from various locations in Texas as a state law requiring counties to partner with ICE takes effect next year.
The establishment of this call center coincides with the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement strategy, which saw a significant investment of $170 billion directed toward immigration and border security after a major bill was enacted. The legislation has expedited collaborations with local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws more effectively.
Notably, recent policy adjustments and government scrutiny have heightened concerns regarding the treatment of unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. without guardians. As of July, there were about 2,000 such children in federal custody. These children are placed in shelters managed by the Office of Refugee Resettlement and may later be released to sponsors, typically relatives or family friends.
ICE emphasizes its goal through the call center is to streamline the process of locating these vulnerable individuals. Yet, despite good intentions, migration advocates remain wary about the overarching implications of the entire operation—especially given the administration's previous actions toward unaccompanied minors and their sponsorship processes.
