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ICE accessed driver data from DOL to make arrests in WA: Report
There's more scrutiny on ICE obtaining data from Washington state's agencies. A new University of Washington study shows it is continuing to tap driver data from the Department of Licensing.
SEATTLE - Federal immigration authorities are continuing to use Washington driver data to track down and arrest immigrants despite state sanctuary laws designed to prevent data sharing.
Loophole allows ICE data access in WA
What we know:
According to a new study from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights, ICE agents are exploiting loopholes to access driver information from the Department of Licensing database. The report identifies four main pathways used by agents, with a non-profit firm called "Nlets" cited more than 100 times. State troopers and other law enforcement agencies use Nlets to share driver data across state lines during traffic stops.
Researchers found that previous efforts by Washington state to restrict or eliminate access to DMV records have proven ineffective.
DOL data access linked to 356 ICE arrests in WA
"They apparently decided that requiring ICE and the Border Patrol to sign statements promising not to use it for civil immigration enforcement was enough," said UW Center for Human Rights director Angelina Godoy. "Well, it's not enough. As of today, the UW Center for Human Rights has documented 356 incidents of arrests carried out on our streets and highways following federal agents querying the DOL for our data."
Researchers expect federal queries to increase for the foreseeable future as federal authorities say they will continue to "flood the zone" in sanctuary cities like Seattle.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether plain-clothes federal agents who recently arrested two men on I-5 South near the 85th Street exit in Seattle used Department of Licensing data to track them down.
Recent immigration enforcement operations in WA
The backstory:
Washington state passed sanctuary laws forbidding state agencies from sharing driver data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for civil immigration enforcement. However, the study shows federal agents continue accessing database records to conduct these arrests.
What they're saying:
Online findings published by the University of Washington noted: "While Washington's ‘sanctuary’ law forbids state agencies from sharing data with ICE/CBP for purposes of civil immigration enforcement, the data presented here shows that actions taken here to curtail federal agents' access to DMV data have been ineffective."
Regarding a recent arrest on I-5 in Seattle, the Department of Homeland Security addressed one of the detentions, stating the man was illegally in the country from Guatemala and received a final order of removal in 1996.
The Source: Information in this story was compiled from a broadcast report by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Sam Campbell and a study released by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights detailing federal access to state driver databases.
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