University of Washington Center for Human Rights

Our new report, “Roadside Assist: WA State’s Continued Sharing of Drivers’ Information with Federal Immigration Enforcement,” reveals ongoing pathways through which WA DOL allows access to drivers’ data by fed immigration enforcement agencies. Read more: tinyurl.com/NletsWA

“It appears that a lot of arrests, particularly vehicular arrests on the side of highways, involve dragnet surveillance of communities. Agents scanning people’s license plates, accessing DOL data, and using that to identify people.” - Phil Neff, UWCHR king5.com/article/news/p…

“The surge we’re seeing in other parts of the country is happening in the Pacific Northwest. In Yakima, it’s been a major issue, and the surge in Portland is truly unprecedented for the region.” -Phil Neff, UWCHR research coordinator seattletimes.com/seattle-news/p…

Read the full update for more information: tinyurl.com/2025PNWtrends Explore the data: tinyurl.com/2025PNWtrendsd…

New UWCHR analysis of DHS data confirms what PNW migrant communities have been reporting—a dramatic uptick in enforcement. Immigration arrests increased significantly in the PNW, reaching near-historic levels during late 2025. Read the full report: tinyurl.com/2025PNWtrends

UWCHR's Unfinished Sentences initiative aims to document and share stories of survivors of crimes against humanity committed in the context of El Salvador’s armed conflict, and to support Salvadoran efforts for truth and accountability. Learn more: unfinishedsentences.org

#UW students, join our team and get hands-on research experience! We’re seeking 1-2 undergrad student researchers to join our Unfinished Sentences team, declassifying government docs related to historic human rights violations in El Salvador. More info: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/20…

What tools are ICE and CBP using to track Washingtonians? Seattle Times reporting covers two of UWCHR's recent findings: ➡️ sharing of WA Flock automated license plate data in 2025 ➡️ continued sharing of WA Dept of Licensing data via Nlets Read more: seattletimes.com/seattle-news/l…

Since 2017, at the request of, and alongside community partners, UWCHR has worked to document human rights conditions at the detention facility. Learn more about our ongoing series: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/pr…

For years, people inside the NW ICE Processing Center have sounded the alarms about conditions and treatment at the facility. A lawsuit filed last Wednesday in Pierce County Superior Court describes some of the abuses that people detained there endure. seattletimes.com/seattle-news/l…

Learn more about data sharing between the WA Dept of Licensing and ICE/CBP: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/20…

In Nov 2025, state officials cut off ICE ERO's access to DOL data via Nlets. In Jan 2026, officials claimed to have cut off ICE HSI. However, CBP access continues. The majority of DOL queries are made by CBP, as seen in DOL's data and arrests confirmed by UWCHR.

Research update: WA DOL continues its "roadside assists" to ICE/CBP immigration investigations UWCHR researchers verified 6 additional cases where WA drivers were arrested by ICE/CBP following a search of WA DOL data, at least 2 confirmed to have been civil immigration arrests.

Read reports from our past fund recipients: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/ca…

#UW Students: Looking for funding for your #humanrights research and projects? We have funding for you! Our 2026 application cycle is open Feb 9 - Mar 19. Learn more about our funds here: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/fu… Join an info session: jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/ev…

"While state officials said two separate times last year that improper driver data was no longer being shared with federal immigration officials, it appears there is still a simple way for agents to obtain Washingtonians’ data." theurbanist.org/2026/01/12/uw-…