Are Your Local Police Using Flock Safety ALPRs to Scan for Immigrants?

Automated license plate cameras used by police departments are quietly matching vehicles against a federal immigration watchlist, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. EFF investigated how Flock Safety ALPR systems can be configured to scan plates against ICE's 'Immigration Violator' hotlist—a database maintained exclusively by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The hotlist includes people subject to administrative warrants, issued by ICE agents without judicial review. EFF found that at least two police departments have this feature enabled. The troubling discovery: some of those departments have explicit policies prohibiting immigration enforcement, yet they're using this system anyway. EFF is now helping residents investigate whether their local police are participating in this surveillance and violating their own stated policies in the process.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton