Why is Washington State Giving Private Data to ICE?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Why is Washington State Giving Private Data to ICE?"

Episode Title: Why is Washington State Giving Private Data to ICE?
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Podcast: Here's the Scoop
Provider: NBC News

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Washington State Department of Licensing Shares Data with ICE

In this episode, Yasmin Vossoughian delves into a controversial and pressing issue: the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) allegedly sharing private driver’s license data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other Homeland Security agencies. This revelation comes seven years after initial protests in 2018, which led to the cancellation of such data-sharing agreements following public backlash.

Interview with Kristin Goodwilley, Investigative Reporter at King 5

Yasmin introduces Kristin Goodwilley, the investigative reporter who uncovered the ongoing data sharing practices:

Kristin Goodwilley (03:23): "We're looking at the Department of Licensing and Washington's immigration laws and what makes Washington a sanctuary state... Essentially, it's this 24/7 search engine where they can search a partial name, a partial license plate, or even an address and find the driver's license info of everyone at one home address."

Kristin explains that while the DOL claims compliance with both state and federal laws, there are growing concerns among experts about the true intent behind ICE's access to this data. She highlights discrepancies in data usage that suggest potential misuse for deportation purposes, which would violate Washington state laws designed to protect personal information from such federal interventions.

Kristin Goodwilley (04:48): "This isn't about ideology, it's about law."

Despite transparency efforts, Kristin reports a lack of satisfactory responses from the DOL:

Kristin Goodwilley (04:48): "The way that I was showing the data was unfair because it was between two different presidential candidacies, and that goes completely against the law."

Further investigation revealed that some ICE or Border Patrol operations might be utilizing this data primarily for immigration-related purposes rather than genuine criminal investigations. Kristin shares anecdotal evidence from lawyers who have cases suggesting deportations rooted in this data sharing.

Kristin Goodwilley (05:34): "I have a couple of lawyers who gave me some of their cases and it appears so... it's only for immigration-related purposes."

Addressing the broader implications, Kristin discusses the heightened fear within immigrant communities, especially those who are undocumented or hold visas. The misuse of data has led to anxiety, cancellation of cultural events, and families becoming more protective and secretive about their movements and activities.

Kristin Goodwilley (07:47): "There's a lot of fear... kids aren't sending to school. They're not going to the grocery store... trying to create a family plan of who takes care of my kids if I am detained and deported."

Future Investigations: Kristin plans to continue her investigation into potential loopholes and the extent of data sharing across other states, emphasizing the importance of transparency in data handling to protect all U.S. residents.

Kristin Goodwilley (08:41): "I'm really looking at where those loopholes are, whether there is more data that's being shared. Transparency for data is something that everyone in the US can understand is important."

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Cancellation of "Late Night with Stephen Colbert"

The episode transitions to a significant development in the late-night television landscape: the cancellation of "Late Night with Stephen Colbert" by CBS, effective May 2026. Yasmin Vossoughian discusses the official and unofficial reasons behind this decision.

Discussion with Al Roker and Bill Carter

Bill Carter, an experienced television industry journalist, joins Al Roker to analyze the situation:

Al Roker (11:59): "Yes. CBS says that they were losing money. They've been losing money on the show. Even though the ratings for him are better than the other shows... the advertising has fallen off tremendously."

Despite Stephen Colbert being the highest-rated host in the late-night segment, CBS cites declining advertising revenues and the shifting audience towards online platforms as primary reasons for cancellation. The high production costs, particularly Colbert’s eight-figure salary, further strain the show's profitability.

Al Roker (12:53): "Colbert is making an eight-figure salary right now. So just him alone, he demands a lot of money..."

Possible Political Motives: The timing of the cancellation raises questions about potential political motivations, especially given Colbert's recent criticisms of CBS’s parent company, Paramount, regarding their $16 million settlement with President Trump and the ongoing $8 billion merger with a major Hollywood studio.

Yasmin Vossighian (14:05): "Look, they had to address that because everyone is going to say, look at the timing of this."

While CBS officially denies political interference, the proximity of Colbert’s outspoken criticism to the cancellation decision fuels speculation about possible external pressures.

Future of Late Night Shows: The discussion speculates on the future of late-night television, suggesting that the landscape may consolidate to fewer prominent shows, potentially allowing remaining hosts to thrive with stronger viewer bases.

Al Roker (16:24): "If one show is on, it might actually do quite well. It actually might do enough well that the advertisers would support it."

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Other Headlines

1. President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Documents

Pressure mounts for the release of Jeffrey Epstein documents, with President Trump directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to make pertinent grand jury testimonies public. Ryan Reilly, NBC News justice reporter, notes that the released testimonies are unlikely to implicate anyone beyond Epstein himself, serving more as a means to placate public interest.

Al Roker (17:01): "Of sort of placating people because obviously there's just so much interest..."

2. FDA’s Hormone Therapy Panel

The FDA convened a panel of women’s health experts to reassess the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for menopause. While some experts advocate for removing the FDA’s stringent black box warnings on estrogen creams, citing benefits for younger women, critics argue the panel was biased towards observational data and hormone therapy supporters. The outcome could signal significant shifts in menopause treatment protocols.

3. Coldplay Concert Incident

During a Coldplay concert in Boston, a "Kiss cam" moment turned awkward when a couple chose to shy away instead of embracing, leading to viral speculation. Chris Martin, Coldplay’s frontman, humorously commented on the incident, noting the couple’s possible reasons.

Al Roker (18:59): "Oh he's very shy."

4. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham Reunion?

Music legends Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham posted matching excerpts from their song "Frozen Love" on social media, sparking rumors of rekindling their long-standing romantic relationship. Fans interpret the posts as a mutual acknowledgment of their enduring connection, hinting at a possible collaboration reminiscent of their pre-Fleetwood Mac days.

Yasmin Vossighian (19:03): "Whatever it means, I guess it's true. You will never get away from the woman that loves you."

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Behind the Scenes

The episode concludes with acknowledgments to the production team:

• Producer: Amanda Llewellyn
• Associate Producer: Kathleen Rocco
• Audio Engineer: Katie Lau
• Supervising Producer: Katie Remchen
• Executive Producer: Ann Marie Fertoldi
• Head of Audio Production: Bryson Barnes
• Head of Audio: Alexa Danner
• Senior Executive Producer: Shalini Sharma
• Executive Vice President of Editorial: Katherine Kim

Yasmin Vossoughian signs off, promoting upcoming content and encouraging listeners to tune in next Monday.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Here’s the Scoop" provides an in-depth exploration of Washington State's controversial data-sharing practices with federal immigration authorities, highlighting the legal and societal implications. Additionally, it examines the abrupt cancellation of a major late-night show and touches upon other significant news headlines, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of current events in a clear and engaging manner.

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For those interested in further details, the full transcript includes additional nuances and quotes that provide deeper insight into each topic discussed.

Transcript

[Al Roker]

Hey everybody, I'm Al Roker from the Today show, here to tell you about our Jumpstart July event. The Start Today app has everything you need to get and stay motivated on your wellness journey all in one place, like walking challenges for all levels to get you moving, healthy recipes that are easy and delicious and so much more. And now when you subscribe for an annual plan, you'll get your first month completely free with promo code Jumpstart. Just download the Start Today app now to get started.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Offer in 733125. Must enter code at checkout. Must be 18 or up after first month. You will be automatically charged $65.99 a year plus tax for an annual subscription until you cancel. Cancel anytime through your device settings under Apple account.

[Dan Snow]

See website for full terms.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Welcome to here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugian, and it's Friday, July 18th. I want to get you what you need to know before you slam your computer shut for the weekend. We've got makeups, breakups and cheating scandals in the music world. And a curtain call for a Legacy Night show. An in depth look into CBS's the Late show franchise before its final applause. Up first, though, an exclusive from our NBC affiliate station in Seattle, King 5. In 2018, protests broke out in Washington state after residents learned that a state agency, the Department of Licensing, was sharing personal data with federal agencies to carry out deportations. Following the backlash, the department canceled agreements with these accounts, including with sectors of U.S. border Patrol and ICE. Our affiliate station found that some of these accounts were later reinstated. Now, seven years later, an investigation has uncovered Washington State's Department of Licensing again has been sharing private driver's license data with ICE and other Homeland Security agencies despite a state law that bans releasing personal information to federal authorities for deportation purposes. King's investigative reporter Kristin Goodwilley reached out to ICE for comment on this story and has not heard back. She uncovered it all and is with us now. Welcome, Kristin.

[Kristin Goodwilley]

Hi, Yasmin. Thanks for having me.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

I'm really excited to have you on because I think this is a huge story that you've uncovered. Walk us through exactly how this came about.

[Kristin Goodwilley]

We're looking at the Department of Licensing and Washington's immigration laws and what makes Washington a sanctuary state. So I was looking into almost every state government agency and I'm still getting records back. And what I got from the Department of Licensing showed that they had agreements with ice, Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security and what they Allowed was driver's license and vehicle information. And so essentially, it's this 247 search engine where they can search a partial name, a partial license plate, or even an address and find the driver's license info of everyone at one home address. Per the law, they have to use it for criminal purposes. Now, based off of the numbers and how they've skyrocketed since President Trump took office, many experts wonder if it really is abiding by the law or whether these agencies are using them for deportation purposes. And if that were the case, that would be against the law here in Washington.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

So what I'm hearing you say, essentially, is Department of Licensing is saying, hey, listen, here's Jane Doe. She's got a Washington license. She lives at 203 Main Street. Here's her information, giving it over to ICE. And then ICE could subsequently go to Jane Doe's house and arrest Jane Doe under the auspices of what they're claiming to be criminal purposes. Have you reached out to the Department of Licenses and what are they saying as to why they're providing this information to ice?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

So the Department of Licensing said that they are following state law and federal law and that it's important that these agencies do criminal investigations. They investigate human trafficking, they investigate drug smuggling, all of these different things. And so it's important to allow them to have this information. And when I pressed the Department of Licensing, they would not interview with me on camera, but they did answer my questions. And so before the story aired, I. I was extremely transparent with them. I said, look, this is the data that I got from a public records request. This is what I'm going to say, because these are the numbers I'm seeing. Do you have a response to this? And what they essentially told me was that the way that I was showing the data was unfair because it was between two different presidential candidacies, and that they both had different immigration ideologies, which goes completely against the law.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

This isn't about ideology, it's about law.

[Kristin Goodwilley]

Exactly. So there shouldn't be an increase and a decrease. It should be more or less a flat line. Or whether we see, you know, an increase in crime in our state, then when we see that increase, that's what experts told me who look at the crime rates, and they say that it doesn't correlate to the crime in Washington. I do think it's important to note they're not sharing Social Security numbers at this point. This isn't like ICE can go into the search database and be like, oh, I can See, if someone is a US Citizen, this is more the concern is, is this information aiding in the deportation of people in the state?

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Have you found that any of these sharing of licenses has led to deportation in the state?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

I have a couple lawyers who gave me some of their cases and it appears so. I will say it's extremely hard to say without a doubt that this is happening, but we know that ICE or Border Patrol did search driver's license and vehicle license plates, vehicle registration information, to verify it was the person they were looking for and it was only for immigration related purposes.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Did these individuals that you speak of have a criminal background?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

One of them had a criminal background. His was interesting because he was in juvenile detention. So based off of the law, I'm not sure how ICE knew about him because if you have a juvenile record and you're tried as an adult, that information, from my understanding, should not be shared. And that's what lawyers are telling me. So other than that, no, he didn't have a criminal record other than juvie.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

And have you spoken to the governor's office? Governor Bob Ferguson, Democrat of the State of Washington, and also the Attorney General Nick Brown. Have you heard from any of them?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

The AG's office could not talk to me because the Department of Licensing is their client. And so they cited attorney client privilege and said that everything needs to go through Governor Ferguson. Governor Ferguson, I have asked for over a week now for a response. I'm hoping to get one. As the story progresses, I will have to talk to him in one capacity or another.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

I can't help but wonder that if it's happening in Washington State, it's happening across the country. Is there any indication that that is the case as you've been going through your investigation?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

Kristin, I think it has a lot to do with data privacy laws. And so some states have stronger data privacy laws. And if your state doesn't, I think yes, there's a strong possibility, but that's something that you can easily find by putting in a public records request.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Kristin, across the country right now you have a lot of immigrant communities that are scared, especially as they're seeing deportations happen. Do you have a sense of how communities are feeling there, especially amongst those that are holding visas and or are undocumented?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

There is a lot of fear, a lot of cultural festivals are being canceled. I talked with one undocumented immigrant who told me that his family isn't sending kids to school. They're not going to the grocery store. Instead of like a Friday night having fun. They're talking to their friends and trying to create a family plan of who takes care of my kids if I am detained and deported. And so I think this is something that is of deep concern, especially when we have states who call themselves sanctuary states. And what they tell me is they feel like maybe this is a bullseye on them. What I will say is I think legislators know about this. They are working to try and fix a lot of these loopholes and immigration experts do as well.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Kristin, what are you focusing on next year with this story?

[Kristin Goodwilley]

I'm really looking at where those loopholes are, whether there is more data that's being shared. And I think transparency for data is something that while it's impacting the immigrant community right now, it's something that everyone in the US can understand is important.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Kristen Goodwilley, thank you.

[Kristin Goodwilley]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

All right, we're gonna take a quick break. When we're back, Colbert's late night tenure coming to an end. That's next.

[Al Roker]

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[Dan Snow]

So, folks, you might have noticed the weather's changing out there. The sun appears to be out. The days are longer. This is in the northern hemisphere, of course, and it's got me excited for road trips, days out exploring and long walks to castles on windswept crags. And if you're looking forward to all that, too, I've got the perfect companion podcast to join you on your adventures this summer. I'm Dan Snow, host of the Dan Snow's History Hit podcast, where I whisk you away into the greatest stories in history. Join me on the high seas as we follow the swashbuckling escapades of Francis Drake. On the Spanish Main. We unravel the myths of the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. I'll tell you everything you need to know about how the American Revolution started and what it would have taken for you to survive the Black Death in medieval Europe. Brackets, luck. This is the podcast you need if you seek to escape into history. And we can all use a little escape at the moment. Check out Dan Snow's history wherever you get your podcasts.

[Al Roker]

Foreign.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

We'Re back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Yesterday, CBS said it was canceling Late Night with Stephen Colbert. His last show is going to be in May of 2026. The end of an era not just for Colbert, but David Letterman who hosted that show for over 20 years and the franchise as well. Here's Colbert on the show just last night. It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of the Late show on cbs. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away. CBS says it's a business decision, but it's just a few days after Colbert criticized CBS's parent company Paramount for the $16 million settlement with President Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then presidential chemnit vice president Kamala Harris. Also, Paramount is trying to close an $8 billion merger with a big Hollywood studio. So the big question was this political? So I gotta bring in Bill Carter. He has written about the television industry for more than four decades now, including two books about Late night. Bill, welcome to the show.

[Al Roker]

Great to be with you.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Let's talk official line, which is CBS saying, listen, this is a business decision, right?

[Al Roker]

Yes.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

But with that, Colbert is the highest rated late night show host amongst all the late night show hosts.

[Al Roker]

Correct. So CBS says that they were losing money. They've been losing money on the show. And I think that's probably true. Even though the ratings for him are better than the other shows, audience levels are better. The advertising has fallen off tremendously. All over network tv. It's fallen off. And that's sort of what CBS is saying, that they're not able to sell this enough to cover the nut of the production. Interestingly, in the past, Late Night was a great moneymaker because the production costs were modest compared to making a big hour long drama. You just had to pay the host and a band and some staff and writers. It was not a huge cost. But the shift in audience moving to see these shows online has hurt them because they can't monetize it.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

And let's be fair. I mean, Colbert is making an eight figure salary right now. So just him alone, he demands a lot of money, which is in line with every other list night show host.

[Al Roker]

Absolutely. So if your plan was to drastically save money, you could say we can't afford Stephen Colbert anymore. Stephen, we have to move on, but we're going to keep the show and hire this upand cominging young comic for a million dollars a year or something, you would save 12, $15 million. But they didn't do that.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

We talked about the official line. Let's talk about the unofficial line. Right. Which is kind of what a lot of folks in the ether are talking about as to why they believe Cold Bear and the franchise overall was canc. And listen, Stephen Goldbert has been an incredibly vocal critic of President Donald Trump this week. On Monday, specifically, he needled his parent company over the Paramount settlement on air. Is there any sense that this was connected to his position politically?

[Al Roker]

Well, you know that there's a sense out there because cbs in its own announcement, made a point of saying, it's not because of that. Everybody don't look at that. It's not because of that.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Look over here. Don't look over there.

[Al Roker]

Yes, but obviously they had to address that because everyone is going to say, look at the timing of this. Look at the timing. Paramount deal, as you referenced, is Paramount is selling to this Skydance company. It's a huge amount of money. So they want this merger to go through. It has to get approval of the government. Guess who runs the government? So they have to appeal to that. And they already caved in this ridiculous lawsuit that Trump had filed against 60 Minutes over a silly thing that paid him off.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Just to be clear, the editing of the interview that was done with then presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.

[Al Roker]

Yes. So because that just happened, it's in the front of everyone's mind. Well, they just caved on that. And here's another thing where here's a guy who's, you know, Trump despises. And will Trump say, well, if you want this deal to go through, you better get rid of them? We don't know that he said that. I don't know that that's the truth. They're denying it very aggressively, but you can't escape.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Let's talk about what this means for Late Night overall by Colbert leaving Linear Television and cbs, which has kind of more strongholds than one would like, especially in this kind of political atmosphere. He will be able to be more independent. He will be able to speak even more freely than he already has and maybe even reach a wider audience, as a lot of folks have found they've been able to do in different formats.

[Al Roker]

I think he's been about as independent as you could be. You know, remember he did the Colbert Report for nine years, and that was a unbelievably brilliant satire of conservative media and conservative thought he was Fantastic at that. I don't feel like he's ever compromised. Now. You're right that he may be, if he goes to Netflix, let's say he may be able to be even more bold. I guess in some ways it's hard to imagine having wider reach because, you know, Netflix is big, but it's not universal. You know, everybody's TV set has a CBS on it. I do think there's an interesting opportunity, though, because let's say Colbert goes away and let's say Jimmy Kimmel goes away. Right. But NBC, which has the basic fundamental franchise, the Tonight show stays on. Well, for a long time in television, there really was only that show. It was only Johnny Carson.

[Kristin Goodwilley]

Right.

[Al Roker]

There were other shows that tried, but nothing else succeeded. And there is a late night audience. If you put all those shows together, you get like 7, 8, 10 million viewers. If one show is on, it might actually do quite well. It actually might do enough well that the advertisers would support it.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Are you suggesting that the remaining late night hosts should fight to the finish so that there's one standing survivor?

[Al Roker]

It's starting to look. It may look that way, yes. Be the one survivor and you might have a very good chance to go on and on.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

A fat contract with a lot of viewers.

[Al Roker]

Yeah.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Bill Carter, we're thankful. Appreciate it.

[Al Roker]

Sure.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

All right. Moving on to some headlines. The pressure from the MAGA base and beyond has been growing this week for President Trump to order the release of the Jeffrey Epstein documents. Now, Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release, quote, pertinent grand jury testimony. NBC News justice reporter Ryan Reilly says the testimony, if unsealed, is unlikely to implicate anyone besides Epstein himself. Ultimately, what comes out is a way.

[Al Roker]

Of sort of placating people because obviously there's just so much interest, including now on both sides of the aisle.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

That's after the Wall Street Journal reported, relying on documents that it reviewed, that Trump was among dozens of people who wrote Epstein letters to mark his 50th birthday. Trump says he'll sue the paper. The FDA held a roundtable of women's health experts to learn more about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for menopause. A group of gynecologists, urologists, cardiologists and other women's health experts debated whether the FDA's black box warning, that is the agency's strongest warning, should be removed from estrogen creams. Experts now say the black box warnings about risk of breast cancer or dementia applies mostly to older women who use certain estrogen medications. Long term supporters say newer research shows benefits for younger women, including reduced risk of heart disease and bone fractures. Critics warn, though the panel leaned too heavily on observational data and was stacked with hormone therapy advocates. Still, though, it is a major moment in the push to rethink how menopause is treated. Change from the FDA could be coming very soon. It was supposed to be this sweet moment at a Coldplay concert in Boston until the band's Kiss cam landed on a couple that may be in hot water. Instead of smooching, the pair ducked like teens caught by the principal. And Chris Martin, the band's frontman, could not help but comment either how big of a fan?

[Al Roker]

Or he's very shy.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

In case you didn't catch that, martin said, either they're having an affair or they're very shy. The Internet naturally chose the juicier option, and soon the video went viral. NBC News is not naming the couple, but TikTok sleuths appear to have figured it all out and had receipts by sunrise. But while one couple may be breaking up, another may be getting back together. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham posted matching excerpts from their song Frozen Love yesterday, and rumors are everywhere. Their posts were kind of like a call and response Nicks posting and if you go forward and then Buckingham following it up an hour later with I'll meet you there. The two are obviously known for their, let's say, tumultuous romantic relationship over the decades. But fans are also pointing to another clue. The song they're posting comes from the only album they released as a duo before they joined up with the rest of Fleetwood Mac back in 1975. Whatever it means, I guess it's true. You will never get away from the woman that loves you. That is going to do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. Our show is produced by Amanda Llewellyn and associate producer Kathleen Rocco. Katie Lau is our audio engineer. Our supervising producer is Katie Remchen. Ann Marie Fertoldi is our executive producer. Our head of audio production is Bryson Barnes. Alexa Danner is our head of audio, Shalini Sharma is the senior executive producer and Katherine Kim is the executive vice president of editorial. And I'm Yasmin Vasugin. We'll be back Monday with whatever the day may bring. Have a great weekend. The hit podcast Dateline Missing in America is back with a new season and more unsolved missing person cases that you might be able to help solve.

[Al Roker]

That's like a living nightmare. A living Nightmare. It was 12:45am when Sophie Reeder started her journey, slipping out of her house.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

And into a syrupy Florida night. At 2:16am a security camera recorded her.

[Al Roker]

Walking along Davie boulevard in South Fort Lauderdale.

[Dan Snow]

Sophie Reader was 15 years old and.

[Al Roker]

That video is the last known image of her on May 20, 2017, the day she disappeared.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

It is not a place for a.

[Al Roker]

15 year old in the dark at all.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

Listen now to Dateline Missing in America.

[Dan Snow]

And maybe you could be the key.

[Yasmin Vesugian]

To solving her case. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.