More than a dozen Canadian companies have done business with ICE, Star analysis finds

A Star analysis of U.S. procurement records found more than a dozen Canadian companies, including Thomson Reuters and GardaWorld, have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; human rights groups and some politicians have raised concerns about those ties.

A Star analysis of U.S. government procurement records found that more than a dozen Canadian companies have done business with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several of those firms hold active contracts that cover technology, security services and equipment. The issue has drawn increased attention after recent incidents and public criticism of ICE’s operations. Human rights groups and some politicians in Canada have publicly questioned the companies’ roles and urged a review of their ties. Key findings: - The Star analysis identified over a dozen Canadian firms with contracts or business ties to ICE, including well-known technology and security companies. - Some companies have active agreements to provide services or equipment to ICE, while others have been linked to related U.S. Department of Homeland Security procurements. - Human rights organizations and certain political figures have expressed concern that these commercial relationships could be associated with rights violations and have called for companies to reconsider those ties. - Advocates say Canada currently lacks a comprehensive corporate due diligence law for human rights abroad, and legal remedies can be lengthy; the longer-term regulatory response has not been determined. Summary: The disclosures have prompted public and political scrutiny of Canadian firms’ commercial relationships with ICE and renewed calls for stronger corporate human rights due diligence in Canada. Undetermined at this time.