At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On September 17, 2026, the Associated Press published an analysis of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) records covering roughly 4.5 million people released into the United States after arriving at the border.
The headline is about maps and cities. But for anyone living through the process, the real question is different: what information about me sits in those records? Here is what is known, what is not, and what you can do.
What does the analysis actually contain?
AP requested the data from CBP through a Freedom of Information Act request in June 2025 and received it in December 2025, after months of negotiation. No lawsuit was required.
The records run from October 1, 2018 to July 7, 2025. After removing duplicates and records without a ZIP code, the final dataset covered 4,510,850 people. Each record includes nationality, age, gender, date of crossing, Border Patrol sector, and the ZIP code of the destination the person stated.
Broadly, these people were released with instructions to appear before an immigration court or to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while seeking asylum or other humanitarian relief.
Among the findings, AP highlights a shift toward mid-sized cities. Of roughly one million Venezuelans released in that period, about 30,000 said they were headed to Utah, part of a pattern that also shows up in Madison, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston rather than the traditional destinations.
Is this a list of names?
No, and that is worth stating plainly because it is circulating that way.
- The data AP received is anonymized and aggregated by ZIP code. It contains no names.
- AP excluded ZIP codes with fewer than ten results from its maps and search tools, specifically to protect privacy.
- The address is the one the person stated, not a verified residence. AP notes that some ZIP codes show implausible concentrations, a sign that addresses were given without anyone ever living there.
- The analysis does not establish anyone’s current immigration status. Many of these cases have long since been resolved; others have not.
That said, the public file being anonymized does not change the underlying fact: the government does have your address, with your name, in your file. That is neither new nor secret, but it is the part that affects you.
Why does that address matter so much?
Because that is where your notices go, and a notice that never reaches you carries serious consequences.
If you moved and did not report it, the immigration court can send your hearing notice to the old address. If you do not appear, a judge can enter an in absentia removal order without you ever knowing there was a hearing. Reopening that case later is possible in some circumstances, but it is difficult, slow, and far from guaranteed.
The deadlines are short, and these are two separate filings, not one:
- With the immigration court: Form EOIR-33, within five days of the change.
- With U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Form AR-11, within ten days. You also need to update the address on each pending case.
- If you are under ICE supervision: you must report the change under the conditions of your release.
This is not busywork. It is one of the few parts of the process entirely in your hands.
What should you do now?
- Check your next hearing: the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) automated system lets you look up the date with your case number.
- Confirm the address on file: if it does not match where you live, correct it immediately in every open case.
- Keep the proof: a stamped copy of the EOIR-33 and confirmation of the AR-11. Without proof, you cannot show you gave notice.
- Use a stable address: if you move often, consider one where someone you trust receives mail and alerts you.
- Review your full file: a records request lets you see what the government has on you.
- Talk to an attorney if you already missed a hearing: motions to reopen exist, and they have deadlines.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
Many cases are not lost on the merits. They are lost because a letter went to an address where nobody lives anymore. At Campos Law Firm, we check that detail from the first consultation: which address is on each file, which notices were sent, and whether an in absentia order can still be challenged. In a country where every decision can change your future, having the right information is your best tool. We do not make unrealistic promises. We provide serious legal representation backed by preparation and integrity.
Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
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