U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers used a database of utility and credit records to pursue immigration violations, per public documents found by Georgetown Law researchers.
The private database, CLEAR from Thomson Reuters, compiles information from over 80 utility companies including water, gas, electricity, phone, cable TV, and Internet access. Other information included are employment, housing, vehicle registrations. The Equifax database information is also used. Geographically, coverage is all 50 states, and US territories including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia (DC) and Guam.
Some Federal organizations have ongoing contracts for CLEAR, including the department of Homeland Security and Defense, and the department of Justice.
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform requested information on how ICE used the CLEAR database in recent years. ICE has not shared how often it has used the information to track people. The current subscription expired as of February 28, 2021.
If you have concerns over your immigration status, contact us at ILBSG. Our experienced and thoughtful attorneys work with you go make sure you get the right advice.
