Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have released nearly 3,000 immigrants whose personal information, including birth dates and detention locations, was inadvertently posted on the internet by the U.S. government, according to government officials.
Officials accidentally posted the names, birth dates, nationalities and detention locations of more than 6,000 immigrants who claimed to be fleeing torture and persecution to the agency's website in late November. Immigrant advocates criticized the disclosure, saying it could put people at risk.
ICE will not deport any immigrants affected by the dump until they have a chance to raise the issue in immigration court, officials said. But more than 100 immigrants who had their information leaked had already been deported by the time the breach was discovered. Another group — fewer than 10 individuals, officials said — was deported shortly after the data leak but before immigrants were notified. The agency is willing to help deported immigrants who want to return to the U.S. and seek asylum come back to the U.S. if they want, officials added.
