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ICE gains access to nationwide license plate reader database

  1. Original Date Announced

    December 22, 2017

    ICE contracts with Vigilant Solutions to access its national license plate reader (LPR) database. The database allows users to track data about a vehicle's location gathered from sources like local law enforcement and vehicle repossession agencies. [ID #298]

    ICE Notice: Access to Commercially Available LPR Database ICE Contract with Vigilant Solutions
  2. Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

    • December 27, 2017

      Privacy Impact Assessment Update for the Acquisition and Use of License Plate Reader (LPR) Data from a Commercial Service

      This PIA Update explains ICE’s operational use of LPR data it has procured and describes the privacy and civil liberties protections that have been implemented by the agency and the vendor. View Document

Current Status

Fully in Effect

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Change in Practice
Subject Matter: Interior
Agencies Affected: ICE

Commentary

  • The Verge: ICE strikes deal to track license plates

    ICE has officially gained agency-wide access to a nationwide license plate recognition database, according to a contract finalized earlier this month. The system gives the agency access to billions of license plate records and new powers of real-time location tracking, raising significant concerns from civil libertarians. Go to article
  • ICE FOIA Case No. 2018-ICLI-00035 - *ACLU v. U.S.* Immigrations and Customs Enforcement

    Records obtained by the ACLU of Northern California in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit detail ICE’s sweeping use of a vast automated license plate reader (ALPR) database run by a company called Vigilant Solutions. The FOIA reveals that since the end of 2017, more than 9,000 ICE personnel have had access to privately collected license plate scans from the 50 most populous metro areas in the US, as well as millions more scans from local law enforcement. The plate database, run by a company called Vigilant Solutions, could be used to "locate people" and "analyze patterns in offenses and offender" and enables ICE to be notified automatically whenever a tracked license plate receives a new read Go to article
  • Documents Reveal ICE Using Driver Location Data From Local Police for Deportations

    Go to article
  • ICE Can Access Hundreds Of Millions Of License Plate Scans To Follow Immigrants, These Documents Show

    Go to article
  • Thousands of ICE employees can access license plate reader data, emails show

    Go to article

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To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com