ICE to Launch National Call Center for Locating Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Sat Nov 08 2025 03:27:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In an effort to locate unaccompanied migrant children, ICE plans to establish a national call center in Nashville. This initiative underscores the agency's intensified focus on immigration enforcement and border security.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to open a national call center in Nashville, Tennessee, aimed at assisting law enforcement in finding unaccompanied migrant children who have entered the U.S. illegally. With the call center expected to handle 6,000 to 7,000 calls daily, ICE aims to enhance its capability to locate and manage these vulnerable individuals. This move comes amid significant investments in immigration enforcement, with ICE also looking for vendors to transport detainees as part of broader law enforcement partnerships.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to establish a national call center aimed at assisting local and state law enforcement in locating unaccompanied migrant children who have entered the United States without authorization. According to a recently released federal contracting document, the agency has an immediate need for a 24/7 call center located in Nashville, Tennessee, capable of handling between 6,000 to 7,000 calls daily.

ICE intends to have the center operational by June 2024, following its proposed opening by the end of March 2024. The agency is seeking information on potential vendors and technologies that can maximize the efficiency of communications regarding the status and whereabouts of unaccompanied alien children.

In conjunction with this initiative, ICE has issued another notice for vendors who can facilitate the transportation of detainees from various facilities across Texas to regional ICE offices swiftly.

This aggressive strategy coincides with a significantly increased budget of $170 billion aimed at immigration and border security enacted following the passage of a major bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump in July. This funding supports the expanded partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement agencies, intensifying the focus on immigration law enforcement.

As per ICE's definitions, an unaccompanied migrant child refers to individuals under the age of 18 who lack lawful immigration status and do not have a parent or guardian in the U.S. to provide care. The number of such children entering the U.S. has surged in recent years, with Border Patrol regularly transferring these minors to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The establishment of the call center and accompanying transport programs indicates a significant shift in how unaccompanied minors are managed under U.S. immigration policies, suggesting a more systematic approach to their enforcement.