1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

According to a recent KING5 investigation, the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) has been sharing private driver data with federal immigration authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and three Homeland Security departments, granting 24/7 access to its private search engine. However, under WA law, Keep Washington Working (KWW), DOL data can only be used for investigating state or local criminal investigations. KWW prohibits providing any “nonpublicly available personal information” about any person to federal immigration authorities in a noncriminal matter—such as a civil immigration matter—except as otherwise required by state or federal law or a lawfully issued court order. Despite this, DOL has been disclosing personal information, including names, addresses, and other details from driver’s license and vehicle registration records, to federal immigration agencies. The practice raises concerns over potential privacy violations and impacts trust in state agencies, particularly among immigrant communities. Given ICE’s recent actions, this mass violation of privacy makes Washingtonians even more vulnerable, erodes already-low trust in government, and makes communities less safe if drivers are fearful of getting licensed. We need greater transparency and accountability around DOL’s data-sharing policies with federal immigration enforcement. We are calling on Governor Ferguson and our elected representatives to take immediate and proactive steps to stop DOL from sharing data with any federal agency unless absolutely required by law. Further, DOL should be required to demonstrate greater transparency and accountability and document the purpose and reasons for accessing DOL data to ensure that such access does not violate KWW and Washington State’s privacy laws.