Original Date Announced

404 Media reports that ICE is using data from a license-plate-scanning tool "that is primarily marketed as a surveillance solution for small towns to combat crimes like car jackings or finding missing people."

ICE agents do not have an official contract with Flock, the company providing the AI-powered automatic license-plate-reader (ALPR) system, but according to data reviewed by 404 Media, ICE officials have asked state/local law enforcement offices to search Flock cameras on their behalf. Reportedly more than 4,000 lookups have been conducted at the behest of the federal government for immigration purposes, "giving federal law enforcement side-door access to a tool that it currently does not have a formal contract for." When conducting a Flock lookup, state/local law enforcement is reportedly not only able to "search their own Flock cameras, but also those in other states or even nationwide."

Trump 2.0 [ID #1777]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.07.16 Reported: Federal license plate reader searches raise surveillance questions - VPM News

According to VPM News, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) analyst improperly accessed Richmond, Virginia's Flock Safety license-plate reader system to aid an immigration investigation after individuals escaped an ICE detention center. In response, Richmond police blocked federal access, emphasized they do not enforce immigration law, and confirmed the employee who allowed access is no longer with the department. Other Virginia localities have also restricted automated license- plate reader data-sharing due to similar concerns.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.08.25 Ensuring Local Compliance - Flock Safety Statement on Immigration Cooperation

Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, which operates ALPRs in jurisdictions nationwide, put out a statement admitting that "[w]hile it is true that Flock does not presently have a contractual relationship with any U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies, we have engaged in limited pilots with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), to assist those agencies in combatting human trafficking and fentanyl distribution . . . . As of last week, all ongoing federal pilots have been paused." Langley stated that "to ensure users are able to determine, in compliance with local laws, regulations, and community norms, whether and when to share their data . . . [m]oving forward, federal users will not be added to Statewide or Nationwide lookup. Any sharing request, audit or display of these agencies will clearly delineate that an organization is federal."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.10.09 Reported: Virginia surveillance network tapped thousands of times for immigration cases - Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism

The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism (VCIJ) reports that "law enforcement conducted nearly 3,000 searches related to immigration enforcement on Virginia’s Flock Safety network over a recent 12-month period . . . . Although Virginia police and sheriffs’ departments stated they would not use their systems for immigration enforcement, their systems’ connection to a national network allowed thousands of outside law enforcement agencies to surveil Virginians’ traffic routines and access license plate and vehicle data." According to VCIJ, "the network audit logs from both Bridgewater and Mecklenburg County reveal that agencies that had access to the automatic license plate reader system conducted nearly 3,000 searches with the terms 'ICE,' 'ERO,' 'immigration,' and 'deportee.'"

In July 2025, a new state law took effect limiting the sharing and public disclosure of data collected by traffic- surveillance networks.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.10.21 Reported: Flock Surveillance Systems Expose Washington Data to Immigration Enforcement - UWCHR

The University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) reports that Flock Safety ALPR networks have enabled access to license plate data in Washington by federal immigration enforcement agencies through "front door," "back door," and "side door" access. Public records requests reveal that "at least eight Washington state law enforcement agencies enabled direct, 1:1 sharing of their networks with U.S. Border Patrol at some point during 2025; effectively opening the 'front door' for searches potentially related to civil immigration enforcement activities." Additionally, CBP had "back door" access to license plate data captured by ALPRs operated by at least ten local law enforcement agencies that had not explicitly authorized sharing with CBP. There are also limited cases of "side door" access, which are searches by authorized network users on behalf of other agencies without direct access to the network.

UWCHR states that the federal government's access to data obtained by local agencies raises concerns about compliance with state law regarding private data and constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.11.13 Reported: Woodburn pauses use of Flock cameras citing concerns around ICE - USA Today

USA Today reports that the City of Woodburn, Oregon, voted to suspend the use of Flock safety cameras for 60 days due to concerns that the program could be used for ICE operations. Woodburn contracted with Flock Safety in 2024 to install 24 license plate reader cameras in the city. According to the Woodburn Flock portal, Flock data may not be used for immigration enforcement. Mayor Frank Lonnergan stated there is no proof the system has been abused, but that the decision was made to be proactive.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.10 Reported: ICE Taps into School Security Cameras to Aid Trump’s Immigration Crackdown, 74 Investigation Finds - The 74

The 74 reports that police departments across the U.S. are using school-district security cameras to aid immigration enforcement. An investigation by The 74 revealed police searching a national license-plate-reader database that includes data from school cameras made by Flock.

Flock devices have been installed by more than 100 public-school systems nationally, and collect license-plate and location data that can be widely shared with law enforcement including DHS. The practice has raised concerns that surveillance technology intended for student safety is being repurposed for immigration enforcement.