DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Department of Labor is resisting the Trump administration’s attempts to obtain wage records from local businesses as part of a broader immigration enforcement push by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Federal Subpoena Sparks Clash
Julianne Murray, Delaware’s interim U.S. Attorney appointed by the Trump administration, filed a court motion this month to force state officials to comply with an April ICE subpoena. The subpoena demands wage reports from 15 Delaware businesses suspected of employing undocumented workers.
However, Delaware officials argue the request threatens residents’ privacy and oversteps federal authority.
Gov. Matt Meyer issued a statement defending the state’s position:
“The recent federal subpoena directed at the Department of Labor is precisely the kind of government intrusion that we have fought against. Hardworking Delawareans deserve to have their rights and privacy protected.”
Murray’s office declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.
Nationwide Effort to Access State Data
Delaware isn’t alone. The Trump administration has been aggressively pursuing state labor and assistance records in several states to identify undocumented immigrants:
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Colorado: Since 2024, ICE has issued at least nine subpoenas for names, Social Security numbers, and employment records. One April subpoena even requested information on 35 sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children.
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Gov. Jared Polis initially ordered compliance but reversed course after a whistleblower lawsuit.
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A Colorado judge later ruled that state officials cannot release data to ICE unless tied to a criminal investigation, citing a state law Polis signed.
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California: In May, ICE subpoenaed the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, seeking records on payments made to certain legal immigrants ineligible for Social Security benefits.
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IRS & DHS Collaboration: On Aug. 9, the Internal Revenue Service began sharing sensitive taxpayer data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after DHS submitted a list of 40,000 names of suspected undocumented immigrants.
Delaware’s Case Moves Forward
According to attorney Jennifer-Kate Aaronson, representing Delaware’s Department of Labor, ICE has issued four subpoenas since February. The department complied with one that targeted a single individual, but is fighting the broader April subpoena.
Federal lawyers countered that Delaware officials had not raised objections to previous subpoenas until now.
The presiding judge has set deadlines through mid-September for both sides to file legal arguments, including whether to compel the 15 businesses named in the subpoena to testify.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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