The passage of laws in New York and New Jersey to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants has led the Department of Homeland Security to investigate how to "counteract their impact."
The interim secretary, Chad Wolf, sent a memo on Tuesday to all sections of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Office of Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration.
He asks them to find out what information the Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provide in the states in which undocumented persons are allowed to be handled, and how often these licenses have, according to the news agency The Associated Press.
"These types of laws make it easier for terrorists and criminals to obtain fraudulent documents," said Heather Swift, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.
In total there are 14 states with licenses for undocumented immigrants: California , Colorado , Connecticut , Delaware , Hawaii , Illinois , Maryland , New York , New Mexico , Nevada , Oregon , Utah , Vermont and Washington . And also in Washington DC . In New Jersey , a law has been passed in this regard, but it is not yet in force.
These laws are aimed at improving traffic safety , giving more undocumented labor and social opportunities, and reducing the number of uninsured drivers. And its consequences have been generally positive.
However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), under the Department of Homeland Security, has used state data to detain and deport undocumented immigrants .
In Washington , for example, the state Department of Licensing provided information to ICE almost daily about undocumented immigrants. When a journalistic investigation revealed it, the governor, Jay Inslee, ordered that practice to be stopped.
The Governing.com website contacted other states and found that at least three others ( Colorado , New Mexico and Illinois ) also acknowledged sharing information with ICE.
Migration authorities also use state driver license databases, in secret and without consent , according to The Washington Post.
The federal agency has examined millions of driver photographs using an image recognition program, according to the Georgetown University Privacy and Technology Center.
Migration agents requested permission from the authorities of at least three states that grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants: Utah and Vermont agreed; in the case of Washington , it is not clear that the searches will be carried out, according to the aforementioned newspaper.
ICE uses police bases with fingerprints , genetic DNA samples and other biometric data on arrested or convicted criminals in their investigations; but in this case information has been used by millions of people who have not committed any crime to merit this investigation.
In addition, state departments sell personal driver data to insurance and crane companies, and even to private detectives dedicated to investigating alleged infidelities.