ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’
ICE has significantly increased its contract with Thomson Reuters to access massive data surveillance tools, including license plate readers and risk-scoring models. The agency claims these tools are necessary for immigration and national security, though critics raise concerns about the scope of data collection on unaccompanied minors and citizens.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing intersection of private data brokerage and federal immigration enforcement, raising significant privacy and civil liberty concerns.
“Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.”
The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children entering the country” to ensure the children’s “welfare and safety.”
The annual payment of $25 million marks a dramatic increase in the value of Thomson Reuters’ work with ICE. The previous equivalent contract was worth $24 million total over a five-year period.
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