U.S. Customs and Border Protection quietly asked San Diego County for records listing every parcel of land in the county and the name of each owner, county geographic data officials say. The sweeping ask, which would amount to a near-complete copy of property-owner records across the region, immediately raised eyebrows among local leaders who want to know why a federal border agency needs that level of detail. County staff say there are established procedures for releasing detailed ownership records, and those rules have not been followed.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Diego Geographic Information Source (SanGIS), which maintains parcel data for the region, confirmed that CBP requested information on “every parcel” and told county officials the request was not for enforcement purposes. SanGIS official Tod Chee told the Chronicle that the agency informed CBP detailed parcel-owner records must be requested in person and that CBP has not yet sent anyone to do that.
Assemblymember Chris Ward, whose district includes parts of San Diego County, says he is digging into the request and pressing for clarity. “If Customs and Border Protection is indeed seeking this information in bulk, San Diegans deserve clear answers about the purpose, scope, and legal basis for such a request,” Ward wrote, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A broader push for federal data
Federal courts have recently pushed back on similar efforts by federal agencies to scoop up sensitive state-held records. A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s attempt to force California to hand over detailed voter-roll data, according to the Associated Press. In a separate case, another judge has signaled she will block the U.S. Department of Agriculture from requiring states to turn over information about SNAP recipients, a move also reported by the Associated Press.
How the county controls parcel data
SanGIS is the joint authority that maintains the regional land base and parcel records for both the city and county of San Diego, and county guidance spells out that some detailed, owner-level files require in-person requests or specific services. The San Diego County Assessor’s public information page explains that while basic parcel data is available online, certain records and copies can only be obtained in person or through established channels. That means any agency seeking a bulk dataset is expected to follow local procedures, according to SanGIS and the San Diego County Assessor…