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NewsSuncoast SearchlightAugust 14, 2026Sarasota County

Reporters reconstruct Florida immigration surveillance database from state dashboard

An investigation revealed that Florida law enforcement agencies have submitted tens of thousands of individuals to a state immigration database, including minors and people without criminal records. Reporters bypassed limited dashboard summaries by scraping detailed encounter-level data hidden within the state's public portal.

immigrationlaw enforcementdata privacysurveillancegovernment transparency
Read the full story at Suncoast Searchlight

Why It Matters

The investigation highlights the scope of state-level immigration surveillance, documenting 10,890 individual encounters between March 14 and August 10 that were not fully visible to the public through standard dashboard views.

Key Facts

  • Reporters identified 10,890 individual encounters in the state database between March 14 and Aug. 10.
  • The database includes entries for minors and individuals with no known criminal background.
  • Law enforcement officers routinely submitted individuals to the database without confirming their citizenship status.
  • Detailed encounter-level data is hidden behind a summary bar chart on the state's public dashboard.
  • The hidden data is accessible only by right-clicking the 'Last 90 Days' chart on the dashboard.
  • Captured data fields include reporting agency, location, citizenship, gender, arrest status, and ICE contact status.
  • The investigation was fact-checked by the University of Maryland Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.

Who's Mentioned

organizationFlorida State Board of Immigration Enforcement“State body managing the immigration surveillance system”other34230“Zip code for Suncoast Searchlight”organizationSuncoast Searchlight“Publisher of the investigation”personKara Newhouse“Deputy data editor at the University of Maryland Howard Center for Investigative”other99“PO Box number”other941“Area code for contact information”personMichael Barfield“Reporter for Florida Trident”personYoun-Joo Park“Reporter for WGCU”personAlice Herman“Reporter for Suncoast Searchlight”