ICE Plans to Renew Contract with Data Broker Thomson Reuters to Identify Unaccompanied Minors

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to renew its contract with a subsidiary of data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to $25 million per year for up to five years. According to a document published in a federal contract register, the renewal is driven by an urgent, "multiplied" demand for data to identify "unaccompanied minors" and "any type of fraud of government funds."

The document states that due to ICE's re-prioritized mission, data must be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of identifying voter fraud, immigration fraud, and national security threats. Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley told WIRED that the work 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 significant increase from the previous contract, which was worth $24 million total over five years. ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008, but the Trump administration aims to expand the scope of its use.

The contract maintains ICE's access to several Thomson Reuters databases, including CLEAR (public records and license plate reader data), CABS (records on recently incarcerated individuals and real-time location alerts), and Westlaw court records. Additionally, ICE will access Real Time Incarceration and Arrest Records (RTIA) and the Thomson Reuters Special Services Entity Authority (TEA) for risk intelligence.

Critics argue that the move blurs the line between immigration enforcement and child welfare. Jason Boyd, vice president of federal policy at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), said that "with every passing day, it becomes more difficult to discern where ORR ends and ICE begins." Historically, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) handled background checks for sponsors of unaccompanied minors without DHS involvement. But recent guidance requires fingerprints and Social Security numbers for sponsors, narrowing the pool and increasing the average stay of children in ORR custody to over 190 days.

Thomson Reuters employees have expressed concerns, with about 200 signing a letter urging the company not to renew the contract. A shareholder resolution demanding a human rights review failed in June, receiving support from only 3% of voting shareholders. The contract renewal also comes amid recent ICE shootings of two individuals.