Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have lost access to a major database that tracked money transfers between the U.S. and Mexico. ICE agents and other law enforcement agencies have used the Transaction Record Analysis Center, or TRAC, for years to monitor hundreds of millions of wire transfers. Western Union and government authorities created it in 2014 through an agreement. Its original purpose was to help ICE agents fight money laundering and drug trafficking.
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However, civil rights advocates warned that ICE agents might use the database to target immigrants for deportation. Now, those concerns appear to be true.
Arizona’s Attorney General, Kris Mayes, confirmed that in June her office cut off access to the database for ICE agents from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division. She said officials made this decision because they worried about the misuse of the information. She explained, “Officials did not and have never intended to use this data for immigration purposes,” but added that she still supports using it to fight organized crime like cartels.
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This decision came after reports that showed ICE agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division used TRAC to find immigrants, even those without criminal records, based only on their money transfers. One such case involved Gregorio Cordova Murrieta, a 48-year-old Mexican citizen living in Hawaiʻi.
How ICE Agents Used TRAC to Track Immigrants
The TRAC database holds records from companies like Western Union and MoneyGram. These records show how people send money from the U.S. to other countries. Officials said it was supposed to help track illegal activities like drug smuggling and money laundering. But, it also gave ICE agents a way to track immigrants sending money to their families.
The most well-known case involved Gregorio Cordova Murrieta. For some time, Gregorio Cordova Murrieta had been living quietly with his fiancée in ʻAiea, Hawaiʻi. He owned a tile business and also coached a local soccer team. Apart from being in the U.S. without proper documents, his record showed no criminal activity.
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In June, an HSI agent reviewed Cordova’s money transfers through MoneyGram and Western Union. The agent tracked him to his home. He was arrested and charged with illegal reentry into the U.S. In August, he pleaded guilty and is now waiting for sentencing.
This case drew sharp criticism from civil rights organizations. Nick Anthony, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, told Civil Beat, “We’re talking about a sweeping system going after people really for nothing more than spending their own money.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also spoke out. They praised Mayes for restricting access but said the move didn’t go far enough. According to Nathan Freed Wessler from the ACLU, “Cutting off ICE agents in Enforcement and Removal Operations still leaves access for the thousands of agents in ICE Homeland Security Investigations.”
Why This Is Important
The controversy over TRAC shows how tools meant to fight crime can sometimes be used in ways that hurt innocent people. The database contains information that can reveal personal financial activities, such as sending money to relatives. ICE agents’ use of TRAC raised fears that immigrants are being targeted just for helping their families.
Attorney General Mayes’ decision to cut off access for ERO agents shows that authorities are aware of the problem. But civil liberties groups remain concerned because other parts of ICE, like HSI, still have access.
For years, experts warned that immigration enforcement agencies might misuse data meant to catch criminals. The cases that came to light confirmed these fears. With hundreds of millions of transfers in the system, it is easy for agents to track immigrants without any suspicion of wrongdoing.
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This move to restrict access is one of the few steps taken to stop such misuse by ICE agents. Still, privacy advocates continue to call for stricter controls to ensure that databases like TRAC are used only for their intended purposes.
The controversy around TRAC is a reminder of how surveillance tools can affect people’s everyday lives. It shows the challenge of balancing national security and protecting individual rights, especially when ICE agents have such easy access to sensitive information.