Thomson Reuters, the media firm which can also be a knowledge dealer, has lengthy supplied underlying private knowledge for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) instruments, in accordance with paperwork obtained by 404 Media and sources. There are additionally indications its knowledge is now a part of the Palantir system ICE makes use of to search out which neighborhoods to focus on.
The findings draw a clearer line between Thomson Reuters’ knowledge enterprise—which may contain promoting names, addresses, automobile registration info, Social Safety numbers, and particulars on somebody’s ethnicity below the model identify CLEAR—and the particular instruments ICE is ingesting the information into. The information additionally comes after Thomson Reuters staff despatched management a signed letter expressing their unease with the corporate’s ICE and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) contracts, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported final month.
“If these allegations are true, they lower immediately in opposition to Thomson Reuters’ claims that its services and products are restricted to preventing severe crime and are usually not facilitating deportations,” Emma Pullman, head of shareholder engagement and accountable funding for the B.C. Normal Workers’ Union (BCGEU), advised 404 Media. BCGEU is a minority shareholder in Thomson Reuters and has just lately engaged the corporate regarding its work with ICE, BCGEU stated.
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Do you’re employed at Thomson Reuters, Palantir, or DHS? I’d love to listen to from you. Utilizing a non-work machine, you’ll be able to message me securely on Sign at joseph.404 or ship me an e-mail at joseph@404media.co.
An inner Palantir wiki 404 Media obtained defined Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), part of ICE that was once centered on legal investigations however has now shifted to immigration enforcement, used a Palantir-built system referred to as FALCON earlier than transferring onto an HSI inner instrument. A former Palantir worker has since advised 404 Media Thomson Reuters’ CLEAR particularly was utilized in that FALCON system.
In 2025 Palantir stated it grew to become a “extra mature accomplice to ICE” when the corporate began work on different techniques throughout Trump’s mass deportation effort. That included a instrument referred to as Enhanced Leads Identification & Focusing on for Enforcement, or ELITE, 404 Media revealed in January. ELITE populates a map with potential deportation targets, brings up a file on every particular person, and gives a “confidence rating” on the particular person’s present handle. An ICE official testified about utilizing the instrument earlier than officers detained greater than 30 folks which legal professionals have described as a “dragnet.”
Inside ICE materials confirmed ELITE received these addresses from numerous sources, together with authorities companies such because the Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS). The fabric additionally stated a supply of the addresses was “CLEAR.”
Two Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) sources imagine the fabric refers to Thomson Reuters’ CLEAR. “I’ve to assume it’s the identical CLEAR,” one stated. 404 Media granted a number of sources on this story anonymity as they weren’t permitted to talk to the press about these subjects.
‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Makes use of to Discover Neighborhoods to Raid
Inside ICE materials and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media gives the clearest hyperlink but between the technological infrastructure Palantir is constructing for ICE and the company’s actions on the bottom.
Thomson Reuters knowledge can also be talked about in documentation about Cellular Companion, an app made by Motorola for querying license plate scans. ICE just lately despatched a message to all ICE Enforcement and Removing Operations (ERO) workers, who’re centered on deportations particularly, concerning the instrument, 404 Media beforehand reported. The fabric despatched to ICE stated customers can additional improve their investigations by combining Motorola’s license plate reader community with Thomson Reuters’ knowledge. “Thomson Reuters CLEAR combines complete public and proprietary knowledge with nationwide license plate knowledge from Motorola Options’ safe shared knowledge community to assist take vehicle-involved investigations to a extra exact stage,” the fabric stated.
404 Media made a number of makes an attempt to get Thomson Reuters to remark for this story. Initially, Thomson Reuters stated it will present info “on background” over e-mail, however then famous the background info could be materials “you should use to tell your article however not attribute to Thomson Reuters.” 404 Media defined that, like many publications, “on background” to us means we might paraphrase the knowledge and attribute it to the corporate. Thomson Reuters then stated, “We don’t agree along with your definition of ‘on background’ and subsequently are unable to handle the misstatements we imagine you might make in your story” and in the end refused to remark.
In procurement paperwork out there on-line, DHS says “CLEAR is significant to the mission-essential, time delicate investigative work of a number of DHS Elements because it makes it simpler to find folks, belongings, companies, affiliations, and different important details.”
“With out this knowledge, DHS wouldn’t be capable to determine targets related to legal enterprise, terrorism, and immigration fraud as quickly,” the paperwork add.
These paperwork present CLEAR’s knowledge can embrace an individual’s identify, handle, date of beginning, cellphone data, driver license, motorized vehicle registrations, Social Safety quantity, marital standing, family info similar to their family members, and particulars on their public social media.
In March the Minnesota Star Tribune reported it had spoken to half a dozen Thomson Reuters staff principally based mostly in Eagan, dwelling to one of many firm’s largest U.S. places of work, and the place lots of the staff’ jobs relate to CLEAR. “Individuals are fearful concerning the function their job has performed in what has occurred,” one worker reportedly stated, referring to Operation Metro Surge, the DHS operation centered on Minnesota through which officers killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti. The outlet reported round 180 staff despatched Thomson Reuters management a letter expressing their unease and asking concerning the firm’s supervision of its DHS and ICE contracts. The New York Instances later reported greater than 200 staff had signed the letter.
The Minnesota Star Tribune additionally quoted an inner Thomson Reuters message from Kevin Appold, the corporate’s vp for initiatives and U.S. public data. “We prohibit clients from utilizing CLEAR to determine or find undocumented immigrants who haven’t dedicated crimes,” it stated.
Concerning the writer
Joseph is an award-winning investigative journalist centered on producing impression. His work has triggered tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} price of fines, shut down tech corporations, and rather more.
