No, US immigration officials are not paying $750 for turning in immigrants in the U.S. illegally

President Donald Trump began his presidency Jan. 20 by signing multiple immigration executive orders. 

Now social media posts are claiming that a federal law enforcement agency will pay for tips about people illegally in the U.S.

"ICE released the tip hotline to turn in illegal immigrants. They paying $750 for each illegal immigrant," says the caption on the Jan. 20 Instagram post, which included an image with a similar claim and a phone number.

Similar claims also surfaced on Threads and X about turning in immigrants illegally in the U.S. through a "tip form."

But an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told PolitiFact the agency does not offer rewards for civil immigration enforcement, which refers to the deportation or detainment of noncitizens who entered the U.S. without authorization.

We also checked the agency’s website and found that the phone number included in the social media posts is to "report crimes, suspicious activity and suspected child exploitation," in the U.S. and Canada. 

Under U.S. law 8 U.S.C. § 1253, an immigrant who enters the U.S. without authorization can face a civil penalty, which typically includes deportation, fines or being barred from reentry to the U.S. In some cases, such as reentering the U.S. after having a deportation order, entering without authorization can lead to a criminal penalty, according to the American Immigration Council, an immigrant-rights advocacy group.

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stated on January 27, 2025 in a Facebook post

Image shows President Donald Trump’s response “to Selena Gomez’ meltdown.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does offer a tip form, but it is also to report child exploitation or other crimes unrelated to unauthorized entry to the U.S. On the tip form, the agency says there is "no absolute guarantee" that tip information will result in monetary payments, but the agency has the discretion and authority to pay for information used to support criminal investigations. 

We found neither news releases from Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor credible reports when searching Google and the Nexis news database about such payments being offered. 

Absent evidence that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is offering $750 to turn in people illegally in the U.S., we rate this claim False.