I asked ICE's regional spokesperson whether a man who appeared in a court hearing was an illegal immigrant and was told that ICE will no longer release such information - even if the person IS an illegal immigrant - because of federal privacy rules. They used to release the information. You could ask them about the immigration status of, say, a violent criminal or other offender, and they would tell you.
Now, they cite this document.
Jessica:
Without having an Alien # (which is how ICE tracks those we have encountered) and a nationality, it would be difficult to determine this individual's status. In addition, DHS has a new privacy policy that prevents me from releasing such information.
Thank you.
Gail Montenegro, Spokesperson
U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
