SAN ANTONIO (AP) – The Texas Department of Public Safety provides federal immigration authorities with the names of motorists who’ve received traffic citations and are suspected of being in the country illegally.
The San Antonio Express-News reports DPS has shared the names of hundreds of people with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the past two years.
The arrangement was revealed during a recent immigration case in San Antonio that involved a traffic stop by a trooper who a judge called “unprofessional” toward a motorist suspected of being in the state illegally.
Advocates of the practice say it’s another tool allowing ICE to find undocumented immigrants who may be a threat to public safety.
But critics say it can lead to racial profiling and other constitutional infringements.
It’s unclear how many people may have been deported under the arrangement.
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