The federal leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party has urged the government to prevent Thomson Reuters from fulfilling a data contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The call comes after reports surfaced detailing a US$125 million agreement in which ICE will gain access to Thomson Reuters’ Clear database, a resource containing property records, social media information, and geolocation data. According to procurement documents, the agency intends to use this access to investigate purported instances of voter fraud and immigration fraud.
Thomson Reuters has maintained ongoing business relationships with ICE since 2015, when the company first began providing the agency with access to its Clear database for tracking individuals targeted for deportation. Critics have long contended that such databases have facilitated human rights abuses. The current contract marks a notable shift by explicitly stating that Clear software will support the Trump administration’s stated priorities regarding alleged voter fraud.
The company, owned by the Woodbridge Company—a holding entity for Canada’s Thomson family—declined to discuss specific customer agreements but released a statement characterizing Clear as a legitimate investigative tool rather than a surveillance instrument. The company emphasized that access is restricted to select law enforcement and government agencies pursuing lawful investigations.
The opposition party leader has proposed that the federal government implement export permit denials for companies supplying equipment to ICE and revoke public subsidies or contracts from entities conducting business with the agency. A law professor at the University of British Columbia noted that Canada’s legal framework, including the Special Economic Measures Act, could theoretically authorize such restrictions, though application against a US agency would be unprecedented from a practical standpoint. The Prime Minister’s office has not yet commented on the matter.
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