'Immigrant' list creates fear; State had same data

SALT LAKE CITY — "We know you are illegal," the stranger on the phone said, "and will call immigration. We know where you live."

The call came Wednesday after parents at the home were included on a list of 1,300 Hispanics who are supposedly living in Utah illegally. The list was sent Monday to law enforcement and news media by an anonymous group aiming to have the people deported.

After the call came, children at the home were so upset they began crying, said Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino and a former state director of Hispanic affairs. Their mom left work to go home and comfort them, Yapias said.

He said the threatening call is just the tip of the iceberg of problems the list has caused. He said people on it are talking of moving, are terrified of being deported and worry about being attacked. He says both legal and illegal immigrants around the state worry they are on it and may be targeted.

Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Workforce Services confirmed on Wednesday that its databases contain much of the same information that was on the list, but the department is still investigating whether it was the actual source of any or all of the list data.

"We're still looking. Some of those data are contained within our database. We're looking to see if it entirely came from our database or other sources," said department spokesman Dave Lewis.

He said his agency is trying to determine if it is a coincidence, or if it is so similar in detail and scope that a breach likely occurred.

Angie Welling, spokeswoman for Gov. Gary Herbert, said several state departments are conducting internal reviews about whether their databases had been used. "We have not given agencies a timeline for completion but know that they are actively working to determine if their division and/or staff was somehow involved," she said.

Paul Murphy, spokesman for Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, said depending on what the agencies find, the attorney general's office may consider criminal charges if it finds a state employee improperly used confidential state databases.

The list that was released publicly includes birth dates, phone numbers and addresses for everyone on the list. For some of those people, it has Social Security numbers it says they are using. It includes the exact due dates for several pregnant women. The names of many children are included. Almost all names are Hispanic, ignoring other nationality groups that may include illegal immigrants.