Woman Gets Fired from Company After Questioning Ties with ICE, Then Files Lawsuit Against Employer

A former Thomson Reuters employee has sued the company, alleging she was fired for questioning its ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Billie Little worked in the legal publishing department for 20 years and was committed to her job. According to her, she felt proud of the company's achievements.

However, her views began to change when she got to know that ICE was allegedly using Thomson Reuters’s investigative tools to collect personal information about various individuals. The firm is known for its database, Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting (CLEAR), which includes personal information of individuals, including addresses, social media profiles, court records, and even license plate records.

As Operation Metro Surge began in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in January 2026, ICE made thousands of arrests. Meanwhile, federal agents also shot down two legal citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

Little, who was already disturbed by ICE’s actions, soon learned that her own company could be responsible for providing critical data to the federal agency. A report was shared in an internal employee chat claiming that Thomson Reuters was among the top 10 corporate collaborators of ICE.

Upon reading the report, Little decided to demand answers from the management. She formed a group called the Committee to Restore Trust, which was joined by around 170 employees. The group wrote a letter to management on February 20 and asked to organize a meeting to discuss the company’s ties to ICE.

“We are troubled by the possibility that [Thomson Reuters] products may enable activities that violate constitutional protections — including Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, Fifth Amendment due process rights, and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection guarantees,” the letter read.

Little said the letter did not lead to any immediate action against her. Instead, management called the group ‘brave’ for raising the matter. However, everything changed when a local news outlet published an article about the said letter in March. The story was later picked up by the New York Times.

Amid widespread media attention, an HR representative at Thomson Reuters allegedly called Little and told her that she was being investigated by the company. On March 20, she was fired from her job for violating the firm’s Code of Conduct.

Little said the company did not specify which clause she had violated. “Instead of addressing our concerns, our legitimate concerns — instead, they turn toward investigating me. And I was instrumental in leading the group. So I think that clearly they were trying to chill [the] activity of workers and that should scare every worker across the country,” she said in a statement to NPR.

The woman filed a lawsuit against her employer on April 14, 2026, citing that the company had violated a law in her home state of Oregon by terminating a whistleblower. Notably, no other members of the Committee to Restore Trust were fired from their jobs. Thomson Reuters has denied Little’s allegations. A spokesperson for the company stated, “We strongly dispute the allegations and intend to robustly defend the case.”