The US government is rapidly merging data from across agencies to support draconian immigration policies, putting American citizens at risk of being caught up in the process. As part of this effort, federal agencies are issuing system of records notices (SORNs) that outline how data collected by an agency will be used or shared.
Immigration authorities have detained over 170 US citizens through the first nine months of 2025, according to ProPublica reports. These detentions often involve the use of data from multiple sources, including voter registration and verification. Experts warn that this data sharing could lead to even further surveillance, potentially targeting people based on their political affiliations.
One case in point is Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a US citizen living in Alabama who was forcibly detained by immigration authorities twice while at work sites. Despite showing his ID and presenting it to the authorities, Garcia Venegas claims that he was still tackled to the ground and handcuffed for over an hour.
As part of the Trump administration's push to surveil and track immigrants, federal agencies have been pooling data from across the government. This has led to concerns about data accuracy and potential misuse. For example, an SSA database incorrectly lists a naturalized citizen as a non-citizen due to the fact that their social security number remains the same even after they become a citizen.
The rapid nature of this data sharing creates risks for individuals who may be caught up in the process. As one expert noted, "the rapid nature of this is you get put in the back of a van, you might be four states away in a couple of hours and put in a facility where the records aren't even updated online."
The lack of a system to address these issues also raises concerns. As one advocate pointed out, there is no clear process for "clearing" someone's social security number or getting a protective order against DHS.
Ultimately, this data sharing effort has raised significant concerns about civil liberties and individual rights. The US government must take steps to ensure that its immigration policies are fair and equitable, while also protecting the rights of all citizens.
Immigration authorities have detained over 170 US citizens through the first nine months of 2025, according to ProPublica reports. These detentions often involve the use of data from multiple sources, including voter registration and verification. Experts warn that this data sharing could lead to even further surveillance, potentially targeting people based on their political affiliations.
One case in point is Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a US citizen living in Alabama who was forcibly detained by immigration authorities twice while at work sites. Despite showing his ID and presenting it to the authorities, Garcia Venegas claims that he was still tackled to the ground and handcuffed for over an hour.
As part of the Trump administration's push to surveil and track immigrants, federal agencies have been pooling data from across the government. This has led to concerns about data accuracy and potential misuse. For example, an SSA database incorrectly lists a naturalized citizen as a non-citizen due to the fact that their social security number remains the same even after they become a citizen.
The rapid nature of this data sharing creates risks for individuals who may be caught up in the process. As one expert noted, "the rapid nature of this is you get put in the back of a van, you might be four states away in a couple of hours and put in a facility where the records aren't even updated online."
The lack of a system to address these issues also raises concerns. As one advocate pointed out, there is no clear process for "clearing" someone's social security number or getting a protective order against DHS.
Ultimately, this data sharing effort has raised significant concerns about civil liberties and individual rights. The US government must take steps to ensure that its immigration policies are fair and equitable, while also protecting the rights of all citizens.
. I mean, come on, 170 American citizens detained already? That's like, crazy 
. And it's not just the numbers, it's the fact that they're sharing data from multiple sources without anyone knowing what's going on. It's like a big mess 
.
. And then there's this SSA database issue where a naturalized citizen is listed as a non-citizen because of a social security number that hasn't changed 
.
. But still, this is getting out of hand. We need some serious oversight and transparency here 
. The US government needs to make sure its immigration policies are fair and equitable, without sacrificing individual rights 
.
It's not like they're asking for your ID or anything (oh wait, they are). And now we have this super convenient system where they can just pool all their data from different agencies to... well, I'm not really sure what. 
But hey, at least it's easy to spot people who might be "non-citizens" based on their social security number (because that's definitely a foolproof way to verify citizenship status).
... I mean, I get it, we need to keep our country safe, but this is getting too extreme. If they're going to use voter registration info to catch people who are just trying to live their lives, that's a big red flag 
. And what's up with these SORNs? They sound like something out of a dystopian novel 
. Can't we just make sure our immigration system is fair and not so prone to mistakes?
. We need some safeguards in place to protect people's rights, not just their IDs. It's like, what if you're a US citizen but you're visiting from another country? Are you going to get pulled aside and interrogated because of it? 
. This data sharing effort is just too fast and too invasive for its own good.
. I feel bad for people like Leonardo Garcia Venegas, who got detained twice just because he was working and had his ID ready 
. This data-sharing effort is just too aggressive, and it's putting people at risk 
. We need to make sure that everyone - regardless of their immigration status - is treated fairly and with respect 
.
and btw this whole sorn thing sounds super confusing 
It's all about surveillance and tracking immigrants, but what about the American citizens who get caught in the middle? We need some transparency and a clear process for getting our rights back if we're wrongly flagged 
? The lack of a clear process for 'clearing' social security numbers or getting a protective order against DHS is seriously alarming 
.
What's next? Are we gonna start gettin' warrants for just showin' up at a coffee shop? 
It's like they're forgettin' that we're human beings, not just numbers and IDs. 
They need to figure out ways to make these policies more transparent and fair, 'specially when it comes to data sharing. We can't have people gettin' caught up in this surveillance state without knowin' what's goin' on... 
And what about those with same SSN after becoming citizens? How can that even happen? My buddy has the same SSN and he's never had any issues... 
. We need to make sure our government is working for everyone, not just those who are already in a vulnerable position. And, let's be real, this whole situation has some amazing opportunities for reform - like, if they can figure out how to get their data accuracy right, it could save so many people from being wrongly detained 
. We gotta keep pushing for a more equitable system and protect our civil liberties at the same time 
. It's like they think we're not human beings anymore 
. And now there are reports of people being held in facilities without even knowing what happened to them for hours 
. We need to make sure our government is treating everyone fairly and with respect 
. This data sharing thingy needs to be reined in ASAP 