A law enforcement division within the U.S. Postal Service has reportedly started helping the Trump administration in its efforts to track down suspected illegal immigrants.
The Washington Post, citing two sources familiar with the matter as well as documents obtained by the Post, reported the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is now participating in a task force at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that seeks to find, detain and deport unauthorized immigrants.
According to the report, immigration officials are looking to access an Inspection Service program called “mail covers,” which takes pictures of the outside of envelopes and other packages.
They also want access to the Inspection Service’s surveillance systems that include data from online Postal Service accounts, package- and mail-tracking information, plus other data like credit cards, financial information and IP addresses, the outlet reported.
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While the Postal Inspection Service has long played a role in enforcing other laws, its involvement in enforcing immigration laws is new, and the shift comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order instructing agencies to assist with immigration probes, documents reviewed by the Post showed.
“Under President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security will use every tool and resource available to secure our border and get criminal illegal aliens out of our country,” a senior DHS official told FOX Business. “The safety of American citizens comes first.
“These actions are a key part of ensuring law enforcement has the resources they need to fulfill President Trump’s promise to the American people to remove violent criminals from our streets, dismantle drug and human trafficking operations and make America safe again.”
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The Postal Inspection Service said it has authority to enforce over 200 federal statutes related to crimes involving the postal system, its employees and customers. It also helps secure high-value post offices, facilities and equipment as well as guard against threats to postal workers.
The agency plays a central role in the interdiction of postal shipments of illegal narcotics, including opioids like fentanyl, using tools to identify those who seek to take advantage of the postal system. It also has a longstanding role in countering the sexual exploitation of children around the country by investigating, targeting and arresting those responsible for child pornography.
Additionally, the Postal Inspection Service investigates instances of mail theft, identity theft, mail fraud, money laundering and cybercrime and plays a role in responding to suspicious mailings and restoring service to communities after disasters.
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