Stateofficialsarenotalwaysinformedif ICE
catchesa suspect,thoughtheagencyhas
beeninformedinsomecaseswherea suspect
wasidentified,includingherointrafficking,
narcoticssmugglingandcredit-cardidentity
theft,Cotesaid.
Thestatedoesnotrunsearchesforpeople
whoseonlyinfractionis livinginthecountry
withoutproperdocumentation,Cotesaid.
ButDemocraticstateRep.AngelaRomero
calledthesearches“governmentoverreach”
withthepotentialtospreadfear.
“Forme,it’sthefederalgovernmentaccessing
informationwithoutthelegislature’s
knowledgeorpermission,”shesaid.
A spokeswomanforVermont’sRepublican
governor,PhilScott,saidVermontofficials
stoppedsharingfacial-recognitioninformation
withfederalimmigrationauthoritiesinMay2017.
InWashingtonstate,theDepartmentof
Licensingsaidit hasnotreceiveda facial-
recognitionrequestsince 2017 andnotedthat
asof2018,allrequestsmustbecourtordered.
JaimeSmith,a spokeswomanforGov.JayInslee,
said“atnopointdofederalagencieshaveaccess
tothatdatabase.”
“Wereallywanttomakeclearthatwe’renot
goingtoallowthefederalgovernmentto
commandeertheuseofourstateresourcesto
useaspartoftheirimmigrationeffort.”
A lawthatInsleesignedearlierthisyear
broadlyprohibitslocallawenforcement
agenciesfrom askingaboutimmigration
statusorplaceofbirthunlessdirectly
connectedtoa criminalinvestigation.Image: Rick Bowmer