On the campaign trail, Donald Trump has elaborated on his plans for extensive immigration enforcement, particularly targeting "sanctuary cities" during his anticipated second term as president. These cities have laws aimed at limiting collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As these plans gain traction, a new report from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) highlights how existing federal/local data-sharing centers, known as fusion centers, already facilitate cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local police in sanctuary cities.
Originally established as a counterterrorism measure post-9/11, fusion centers aim to integrate intelligence between federal, state, and local law enforcement. However, STOP notes that despite considerable funding—$400 million in 2021 alone—these centers have not demonstrated effectiveness in their primary counterterrorism role. A Senate panel hearing revealed that fusion centers often generate "predominantly useless information."
ICE has been leveraging fusion centers to access various forms of data, including images of suspects and detailed location data from license plates, often utilizing input from law enforcement in sanctuary cities. Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of STOP, stated, “This is an area where it’s highly profitable for localities to cooperate with ICE, and because it’s not highly visible, it oftentimes faces less pushback." He cautioned that such broad data-sharing capabilities could be misused in various scenarios, endangering marginalized communities.
The view of sanctuary cities has altered significantly within local law enforcement agencies over the years. While many once supported sanctuary policies out of concern for public safety—believing that collaboration with ICE would deter immigrants from reporting crimes—they have become more politically involved in immigration issues.
Fusion centers enable ICE officers to request data from local law enforcement databases, tapping into surveillance systems that are ostensibly off-limits for deportation efforts under sanctuary city laws. STOP argues that by sharing data through fusion centers, local law enforcement may be circumventing the intent of sanctuary protection laws while making it less apparent than direct violations.
The erosion of these protections raises significant implications, not just for immigration policies but also for broader national security concerns. If fusion centers can be penetrated or repurposed, their misuse could impact various communities beyond those targeted by immigration enforcement.
As the Trump administration’s immigration agenda unfolds, research from STOP emphasizes that these fusion centers could play pivotal roles not just in immigration-related policies but potentially in numerous future law enforcement initiatives as well.
