Immigration agents demand tenant information from landlords, stirring questions and confusion
Share this @internewscast.com

ATLANTA (AP) — Immigration officials are requesting that landlords provide them with leases, rental applications, forwarding addresses, identification documents, and other tenant details. This move signifies the Trump administration’s intent to enlist landlords in its efforts to carry out large-scale deportations.

Eric Teusink, a real estate lawyer located near Atlanta, reported that several of his clients recently received subpoenas demanding complete tenant records. These records often contain information such as employment history, marital status, and family connections.

The two-page “information enforcement subpoena,” which Teusink exclusively shared with The Associated Press, also inquires about individuals who resided with the tenant in question. Dated May 1, it is authorized by an officer from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ anti-fraud division, though it lacks a judge’s signature.

It is unclear how widely the subpoenas were issued, but they could signal a new front in the administration’s efforts to locate people who are in the country illegally, many of whom were required to give authorities their U.S. addresses as a condition for initially entering the country without a visa. President Donald Trump largely ended temporary status for people who were allowed in the country under his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Experts question whether landlords need to comply

Some legal experts and property managers say the demands pose serious legal questions because they are not signed by a judge and that, if landlords comply, they might risk violating the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.

Critics also say landlords are likely to feel intimidated into complying with something that a judge hasn’t ordered, all while the person whose information is being requested may never know that their private records are in the hands of immigration authorities.

“The danger here is overcompliance,” said Stacy Seicshnaydre, a Tulane University law professor who studies housing law. “Just because a landlord gets a subpoena, doesn’t mean it’s a legitimate request.”

ICE officers have long used subpoenas signed by an agency supervisor to try to enter homes. Advocacy groups have mounted “Know Your Rights” campaign urging people to refuse entry if they are not signed by a judge.

The subpoena reviewed by the AP is from USCIS’ fraud detection and national security directorate, which, like ICE, is part of The Department of Homeland Security. Although it isn’t signed by a judge, it threatens that a judge may hold a landlord in contempt of court for failure to comply.

Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokeswoman, defended the use of subpoenas against landlords without confirming if they are being issued.

“We are not going to comment on law enforcement’s tactics surrounding ongoing investigations,” McLaughlin said. “However, it is false to say that subpoenas from ICE can simply be ignored. ICE is authorized to obtain records or testimony through specific administrative subpoena authorities. Failure to comply with an ICE-issued administrative subpoena may result in serious legal penalties. The media needs to stop spreading these lies.”

These requests are new to many landlords

Teusink said many of his clients oversee multifamily properties and are used to getting subpoenas for other reasons, such as requests to hand over surveillance footage or give local police access to a property as part of an investigation. But, he said, those requests are signed by a judge.

Teusink said his clients were confused by the latest subpoenas. After consulting with immigration attorneys, he concluded that compliance is optional. Unless signed by a judge, the letters are essentially just an officer making a request.

“It seemed like they were on a fishing expedition,” Teusink said.

Boston real estate attorney Jordana Roubicek Greenman said a landlord client of his received a vague voicemail from an ICE official last month requesting information about a tenant. Other local attorneys told her that their clients had received similar messages. She told her client not to call back.

Anthony Luna, the CEO of Coastline Equity, a commercial and multifamily property management company that oversees about 1,000 units in the Los Angeles area, said property managers started contacting him a few weeks ago about concerns from tenants who heard rumors about the ICE subpoenas. Most do not plan to comply if they receive them.

“If they’re going after criminals, why aren’t they going through court documents?” Luna said. “Why do they need housing provider files?”

ICE subpoenas preceded Trump’s first term in office, though they saw a significant uptick under him, according to Lindsay Nash, a law professor at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law in New York who has spent years tracking them. Landlords rarely got them, though. State and local police were the most common recipients.

ICE can enforce the subpoenas, but it would first have to file a lawsuit in federal court and get a judge to sign off on its enforcement — a step that would allow the subpoena’s recipient to push back, Nash said. She said recipients often comply without telling the person whose records are being divulged.

“Many people see these subpoenas, think that they look official, think that some of the language in them sounds threatening, and therefore respond, even when, from what I can tell, it looks like some of these subpoenas have been overbroad,” she said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Who is Kathryn Nester, Charlie Kirk assassination suspect Tyler Robinson’s attorney?

Who is Tyler Robinson’s attorney, Kathryn Nester, in the Charlie Kirk assassination case?

OREM, Utah — Tyler Robinson, the accused in the Charlie Kirk case,…
Suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson's defense attorney revealed

Defense Attorney of Tyler Robinson, Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassination Plot Suspect, Speaks Out

PROVO, Utah — Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting Turning…
Border Patrol agents rescue cyclist who fell 'more than 50 feet' into remote canyon

Border Patrol Agents Save Cyclist After 50-Foot Fall Into Isolated Canyon

U.S. Border Patrol agents are being hailed for saving the life of…
Trump 'dramatically' changes tune on Ukraine but experts caution Putin is still waiting for action

Trump Shifts Stance on Ukraine Significantly, But Experts Warn Putin Awaits Concrete Steps

President Donald Trump this week shocked the international community when he said…
Trump admin reports 2 million illegal aliens 'removed or self-deported' from US in first 8 months

Trump Administration Reports 2 Million Illegal Immigrants Removed or Voluntarily Departed in First 8 Months

Two million individuals without legal immigration status “have been removed or have…
Trump's Rose Garden Club is a lavish new hangout for political allies and business elites

Trump’s Rose Garden Club: A Luxurious Gathering Spot for Political Allies and Business Leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington’s trendiest venue has everything — Cabinet secretaries, a…
Chicago Public Schools custodian Elton Odell, Jr. says teacher assistant attacked him at John M. Smyth School on Near West Side

Elton Odell, Jr., a custodian at Chicago Public Schools, claims he was assaulted by a teacher’s assistant at John M. Smyth School on the Near West Side.

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago school custodian reported being assaulted while on…
St John's County woman warns of romance scammer she thought was her boyfriend

St. John’s County Woman Issues Warning About Romance Scammer She Believed Was Her Boyfriend

The woman says 35-year-old Edit Manjic defrauded her out of $230,000 in…
Texas man charged with terroristic threat against Charlie Kirk vigil

Texas Resident Accused of Making Terrorist Threat Against Charlie Kirk Vigil

A man has been taken into custody following allegations that he issued…
Chicago City Council committee votes on plan to address housing concerns linked to Obama Presidential Center in Jackson park

Chicago City Council Evaluates New Plan to Tackle Housing Issues Around Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park

CHICAGO (WLS) — Work on the Obama Presidential Center continues to move…
He's the budget scorekeeper for Congress. Lately, it's been a tough job

The Budget Scorekeeper for Congress Faces Challenges Aplenty Lately

WASHINGTON (AP) — The debate this summer over the Republicans’ large-scale bill…
Bill Clinton sees this year's Clinton Global Initiative as a 'counterweight' to aid cuts

Bill Clinton Views This Year’s Clinton Global Initiative as a Solution to Support Aid Reductions

NEW YORK (AP) — The annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative…