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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas police 'abused' license plate data for immigration search, Illinois police say
A Texas law enforcement agency reportedly used license plate data shared by a Chicago-area police department in locating a woman for immigration enforcement purposes, despite Illinois state law prohibiting such use. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office allegedly used data from Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) — also referred to as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) — through Flock Safety, a private company. The "National Lookup" feature is used by law enforcement agencies "for purposes of immigration enforcement." The Illinois Secretary of State's Office notified the Mount Prospect Police Department that it was among multiple other law enforcement agencies whose data was used by the Texas department. "The use of ALPR data collected by Mount Prospect Flock Safety cameras for this purpose does not align with the Mount Prospect Police Department's values and is a clear violation of Illinois state law," the Chicago department stated in a press release. A site called 404 Media shows the Johnson County Sheriff's Office requested data from 83,000 of Flock Safety's cameras, including those in Mount Prospect. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is requesting an investigation into the incident by the attorney general, The Independent reports. He says he is also making an audit system to prevent similar uses of ALPR data in the future. A 2023 Illinois law prohibits the sharing of license plate data to track undocumented immigrants or people seeking abortions. A total of 262 immigrant-related searches were made between mid-January and April in Mount Prospect alone, Giannoulias said. Deputy Secretary of State Scott Burnham warned that such violations could lead to the loss of state funding. Giannoulias says he requested that Flock Safety block access to 62 out-of-state agencies seeking data related to abortion or immigration. The ALPR company also created a program to flag access requests with the terms "abortion" and "immigration" and deny the requests. Finally, law enforcement agencies will be required to respect the secretary of state's audits with the goal of noting trends in certain requests, Burnham explained. "I am tremendously upset that some law enforcement agencies who agreed to follow Illinois law, in order to gain access to our ALPR data, conducted illegal searches violating the trust of our community," Chief of Police Michael Eterno said. "As disappointed as I am with these other agencies, I want to emphasize that no member of the Mount Prospect Police Department shared ALPR data in violation of the law. I realize that this misuse of Mount Prospect's ALPR data violates the trust of our community, and we as a department will continue to work to enhance the Flock ALPR software and ensure this abuse does not occur in the future." Following the incident with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the Mount Prospect Police Department said it has made, or plans to make, several changes to prevent similar incidents in the future, including opted out of the Flock Safety "National Lookup" feature cancelled any data sharing agreement with law enforcement agencies who violated Illinois state law revoked access to Mount Prospect's ALPR data for all law enforcement agencies outside of Illinois will be updating its ALPR policy to include regular audits of the searches being conducted by internal and external users As of Friday morning, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office had not issued a public statement about the incident. The name of the individual who was the focus of the search has not been disclosed to the public. Flock Safety has released a statement amid what it calls "a misunderstanding." The ALPR company indicated contact with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office regarding the incident in Illinois, seeking to correct "misreporting" that the program was used "to target people seeking reproductive healthcare." The Sheriff allegedly told Flock Safety that this "is unequivocally false." "According to the Sheriff's office, a local family called and said their relative had self-administered an abortion, and then she ran away," Flock Safety said. "Her family feared she was hurt, and asked the deputy to search for her to the best of their abilities. Law enforcement performed a nationwide search in Flock, the broadest search possible within the system, to try to locate her quickly. Luckily, she was found safe and healthy in Dallas a couple of days later." The woman faces no charges and was never under criminal investigation, the ALPR company added, saying that Texas police were looking for her as a missing person rather than as a crime suspect. "We're grateful for the opportunity to work with Illinois officials to clarify what happened, correct misconceptions, and implement lasting improvements that uphold the trust of both law enforcement agencies and the residents they serve." — The Independent contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas police use of license plate data under investigation in Illinois
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Texas sheriff's office accessed Mount Prospect license plate data in immigration searches, police say
The Brief The Illinois Secretary of State's Office informed Mount Prospect of their data, as well as other Illinois law enforcement agencies,' was accessed through the National Lookup feature via Flock Safety by other law enforcement agencies for immigration enforcement purposes. The Johnson County Sheriff's Department in Texas utilized the feature, accessing the data from over 83,000 cameras around the country, including Mount Prospect's. Mount Prospect has since opted out of the program. MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. - A Texas sheriff's department accessed license plate reader data from Mount Prospect police as part of immigration enforcement efforts, in violation of Illinois law, authorities said. What we know The Illinois Secretary of State's Office informed Mount Prospect that its data—and that of other Illinois law enforcement agencies—was accessed through the National Lookup feature via Flock Safety by other law enforcement agencies for immigration enforcement purposes. This is a violation of Illinois law, according to authorities. Police said the investigation also revealed that other law enforcement agencies conducted 262 immigration-related searches on Mount Prospect's data. The Johnson County Sheriff's Department in Texas utilized the feature, accessing the data from over 83,000 cameras around the country, including Mount Prospect's. Mount Prospect has since opted out of the program. What they're saying "I am tremendously upset that some law enforcement agencies who agreed to follow Illinois law, in order to gain access to our ALPR data, conducted illegal searches violating the trust of our community", said Chief of Police Michael Eterno "As disappointed as I am with these other agencies, I want to emphasize that no member of the Mount Prospect Police Department shared ALPR data in violation of the law. I realize that this misuse of Mount Prospect's ALPR data violates the trust of our community, and we as a department will continue to work to enhance the Flock ALPR software and ensure this abuse does not occur in the future," said Chief Eterno. Flock Safety said it is tightening access to the Illinois data. The Source Details for this story were provided by the Mount Prospect Police Department.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE gained backdoor access to nationwide license plate camera network: report
[Source] Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has allegedly obtained informal access to a nationwide network of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras by working through local police departments, despite lacking a direct contract with surveillance technology provider Flock Safety. The alleged findings Data obtained from the Danville, Illinois Police Department documents more than 4,000 searches of Flock's artificial intelligence-powered camera system between June 1, 2024, and May 5, 2025, that contained immigration-related terms in search justifications, according to a 404 Media investigation. The records show local and state police departments performed database queries citing reasons such as 'immigration,' 'ICE,' 'ICE+ERO' and 'illegal immigration' across multiple states. The scale of access appears significant: When Dallas police conducted searches labeled 'ICE+ERO' on March 6, for instance, the queries accessed 6,674 separate camera networks containing 77,771 individual devices. Law enforcement agencies from Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia reportedly performed such searches, with those specifically marked 'immigration' appearing only after Trump's January 2025 inauguration. Trending on NextShark: Flock Safety reportedly operates over 40,000 cameras in more than 5,000 communities, automatically capturing license plates, vehicle colors and models for 30-day storage periods, with police typically searching this data without obtaining warrants or court approval. What authorities are saying Local officials have strongly disputed the allegations. Danville Police Chief Chris Yates emphasized his department's adherence to Illinois statutes that forbid using ALPR data for immigration enforcement purposes. Meanwhile, Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. declared that 'what is being alleged is not happening.' Trending on NextShark: Other law enforcement agencies, however, have acknowledged conducting searches that assisted federal investigations. Multiple Illinois police departments reportedly confirmed they conducted searches to assist federal agencies informally. Deputy Chief Andrew Perley of Glencoe, Illinois, described one instance as 'an informal request from Homeland Security Investigations into a criminal matter aside from immigration.' Missouri State Highway Patrol officials clarified that although their search reason was documented as 'immigration,' the actual lookup 'was related to a traffic stop with indicators of possible human trafficking,' according to the agency. Flock Safety maintained that customers 'own and control 100% of the data collected by their Flock systems and choose who to share data with,' while stating that their technology has helped locate over a thousand missing persons. Broader implications The controversy comes amid expanding federal immigration enforcement efforts and ongoing legal challenges to surveillance practices. Legal challenges to warrantless ALPR searches are reportedly underway, with the Institute for Justice arguing these practices violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches. Trending on NextShark: These allegations also coincide with the Trump administration's efforts to expand local police involvement in immigration enforcement through the 287(g) program, which permits ICE to delegate immigration authority to local departments, and a January executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to authorize qualified local officers to perform immigration-related duties. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. ! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Arizona police departments say ICE is not using their license plate scanners
An automated license plate reader sits inside a fake cactus at a Paradise Valley roundabout. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror A license plate scanning tool that is marketed to be used to combat car theft or find missing people is now being used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some Arizona police departments have access to the technology, but say that ICE hasn't requested to use it. First reported by 404 Media, local police around the country have been using an AI-powered automatic license plate reader system as part of ICE investigations, essentially giving the agency access to a tool for which they don't have a federal contract. The automatic license plate reader, or ALPR for short, camera systems gather data from license plates that can then be flagged or saved to databases. ALPR data can also reveal a lot about a person's movements, and 404 Media found that the system was used in Texas to track a woman after she had an abortion. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The vast majority of the camera monitoring systems in Arizona are used in the Phoenix area, with some in more rural areas and near the border. The Arizona Mirror reached out to nine law enforcement agencies that use the cameras, sold by a company called Flock, to ask if they had received requests from ICE and if they use Flock's ALPR Nova tool. The Nova tool came under scrutiny after 404 Media reported it had been using data obtained through security breaches and not just data from public records. Since the reporting, Flock said it will no longer use the hacked data. The El Mirage, Buckeye, Apache Junction and Casa Grande police departments all told the Mirror that they do not use the Nova tool and that ICE has not requested their data. 'We have not received any requests from ICE for any of our data. Border Patrol and HSI both receive our alerts for things such as stolen vehicles or wanted subjects,' Casa Grande Chief of Police Mark McCrory said in an email to the Mirror. 'They can't access our data other than receiving these alerts.' A spokesperson for the Scottsdale Police Department said it does not use the Nova tool but was 'unaware' whether ICE had made any data requests and suggested the Mirror make a public records request to obtain more information. The La Paz, Maricopa, Graham county sheriff's offices and the Somerton Police Department did not respond to the Mirror's requests for comment. The reporting by 404 Media was published as law enforcement agencies across the nation and in Arizona face more scrutiny for their cooperation with federal authorities on President Donald Trump's deportation agenda. At Phoenix City Hall Wednesday, activists with the progressive group Poder in Action delivered a citizen petition to the city requesting the Phoenix Police Department quit working with ICE. While Phoenix Police do not use the Flock camera system, they do work with ICE in other capacities and have an ALPR program. The Arizona Republic reported that the majority of arrests in the metro area that led to ICE deportation actions came from Phoenix Police. State lawmakers have been seeking to force local law enforcement to work more with ICE. During a Wednesday meeting, Phoenix City Councilwoman Anna Hernandez brought up the 404 Media report and asked Police Chief Dennis Orender if Phoenix Police shares its ALPR program with ICE. Phoenix Police use an ALPR system by Vigilant Solutions, one of the nation's largest ALPR vendors and one used by several other law enforcement agencies in the state. Orender said that if an 'approved entity' made a request for data from the database then they could get access but stressed that it does not provide information on 'registration and ownership of the vehicle' just where it was at a 'point in time.' Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington also voiced similar concerns, and mentioned the 404 Media report about the Texas cop who used ALPR data to track a woman who had gotten an abortion. 'What protocols are being set up to ensure the privacy of our Phoenix residents?' Washington asked. Orender said that the agency has policies to protect privacy but when Mayor Kate Gallego asked him if anyone was doing 'spot checks' to make sure no one was making 'queries for their ex-wife,' Orender said he would have to come back on June 18 with an answer. Poder Co-Executive Director Ben Laughlin hopes that petitions like the one his organization presented to the council on Wednesday will help keep people from being part of the 'deportation pipeline.' 'The deportations are resulting from stops, basic interactions that are pushing folks into the Fourth Avenue Jail where they're interacting with ICE,' Laughlin said. He added that he hopes the impact of the petition would help limit Phoenix Police from engaging in racial profiling like it did in the past. Laughlin also said he hopes that local politicians, who said they wouldn't cooperate with Trump's deportation agenda, stay true to their word. 'We also need elected officials to follow through on the promises that they made,' Laughlin said. The Phoenix City Council asked that police come to its June 18 meeting with a plan to ensure that use of the ALPR data is audited and to have better answers to their questions about how the data is used. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Automated license plate readers spark worries of mass surveillance in San Marcos, Austin
The Brief Austin, San Marcos debating future of automated license plate reader programs Flock cameras scrutinized over privacy concerns and data access AUSTIN, Texas - Worries about mass surveillance have both Austin and San Marcos debating the future of automated license plate reader (ALPR) programs. The Flock cameras have been scrutinized over privacy concerns and data access. What we know Community members took the stand one by one during Tuesday's City Council work session to call for the council to strike down the renewal of the ALPR program in Austin. In 2022, Travis County granted the Austin Police Department the authority to use ALPR and in March 2024, the Flock cameras went live in Austin. This March, the city council approved a 90-day extension and in May an audit on the program was released. "This program represents and imminent security threat to Austinites and your constituents by enabling like ICE kidnapping. We know this because it is my understanding that contractor of this program, Flock, has an active contract with ICE for intelligence information outside of that the massive surveillance of all vehicles traveling within the city of Austin is dystopian and concerning," said Austin resident Reece Armstrong at the work session. "This program scanned 75 million license plates, a staggering number and the success rate of locating persons of interest was less than .02 percent. We also learned that despite the guardrails in place, our contract has no legal force behind it and data that wasn't supposed to have been shared, has been shared, putting our citizens at risk, said Kevin Welch, another Austin resident. In response to the backlash, the Austin Police Department presented a visual argument on the purpose of the initiative, its impact on public safety, safeguards, and contract revisions. "We have to understand that if we decide to turn this off there will be a negative impact to the safety and security of our citizens. We are not just talking about stolen vehicles, we are talking about violent criminals," said Asst. Chief Sheldon Askew. Askew detailed how data is shared from the program, pointing out the category 'smuggling' and why the Texas Department of Public Safety had access. "I would really like to break down for a minute just what exactly smuggling a person is. When someone is smuggling someone, they are doing so with the intent to hide that person. In other words, they are doing it, putting that person at risk. I think all of us remember that incident that happened in Houston, Texas when a number of people piled in the back of an 18-wheeler," said Askew. Austin police argue the data from the program is kept for seven days and there are criminal penalties for officers misusing the technology. "We have robust safeguards in place to ensure the requests that are coming in are monitored, reviewed and there is a standard approach taking so that we can avoid the issues that some of our community members believe are going on right now," said Askew. What's next The Austin City Council was supposed to discuss and vote on Item 67, a proposed extension of the ALPR program, during its Thursday meeting. However, City Manager T.C. Broadnax pulled the item from the agenda Tuesday night, citing the concerns expressed by residents during Tuesday's work session. Broadnax's decision essentially means Austin's ALPR program will end on June 30. What we know On Tuesday night, the city of San Marcos voted on their own ALPR program, aiming to add 19 more cameras to the 14 already in use. "If you don't want your license plate to be captured, stay off the tollways and TxDOT because there's cameras everywhere," said a San Marcos resident in support of the cameras. "If Flock or law enforcement tell us these cameras won't be used for this or that, how can we know as we stand here today?" asked a San Marcos resident in opposition to the cameras. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Tan Radford.
