The Wall Street journal is reporting that the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) are using a commercial database of cell phone locations to ” detect undocumented immigrants and others who may be entering the U.S. unlawfully, according to these people and documents.” The Journal’s story is behind a paywall but there are free stories on the subject from Vox and The Hill.
The Journal reports that the database is from a commercial company called Venntel which sold $190,000 worth of licenses to the database to ICE in 2018. A dvision of Homeland Security involved in experimental products started buying location data in 2017.
CPB told the Journal ““While CBP is being provided access to location information, it is important to note that such information doesn’t include cellular phone tower data, is not ingested in bulk and doesn’t include the individual user’s identity,”