1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am voting constituent, writing to express firm opposition to Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recent request for unfettered access to the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS). As reported by ProPublica, this move represents a flagrant privacy violation, a clear abuse of power, and a profound breach of public trust. The FPLS was established with a singular, vital purpose: to ensure children receive the financial support they are owed by locating parents who have moved or changed jobs. It contains the most sensitive personal data of nearly every employed person in the United States, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, and salary information. Crucially, it also includes the names, birthdays, and Social Security numbers of children, as well as the addresses of domestic violence survivors. Granting DHS access to this database for immigration enforcement is not only a departure from its intended purpose but a direct violation of federal law (42 U.S.C. § 653), which explicitly limits the use of this data to child support and a few other narrow, non-punitive administrative functions. The consequences of such an overreach would be devastating: Destruction of the Child Support System: If employers and parents fear that providing information to the government will lead to ICE raids or deportations, they will stop cooperating. This will cripple the system’s ability to collect support, directly harming the 1 in 5 American children who rely on these payments. Endangering Vulnerable Populations: The FPLS contains "confidentiality flags" for victims of domestic violence. Allowing law enforcement unfettered access to this data puts these individuals at risk of being located by their abusers or being targeted by the very agencies meant to protect the public. Systemic Abuse of Power: This administration has repeatedly shown itself to be untrustworthy regarding the handling of sensitive data. Attempting to bypass statutory protections to weaponize a child welfare database for mass deportation is an unprecedented expansion of the surveillance state. I urge you to take immediate action to block DHS from accessing the Federal Parent Locator Service. Our government must not be allowed to turn a system designed to protect children into a tool for their displacement. We need legislative safeguards that reinforce the privacy of the FPLS and ensure that no administration can exploit it for political or enforcement purposes. I look forward to hearing your position on this critical issue and what steps you will take to protect the privacy and safety of your constituents.