EFF says some local police departments using Flock Safety automated license plate readers are subscribed to an NCIC 'Immigration Violator' hotlist populated exclusively by ICE, so officers can be alerted when cameras spot vehicles tied to immigration records. Based on public-records responses, EFF identified at least Blue Island Police Department and Sparks Police Department as having the hotlist enabled, while other agencies used NCIC hotlists but had that specific topic disabled; the report highlights possible conflicts with local laws or agency policies that bar immigration-enforcement use.
Why it matters: This matters to immigrants, drivers, and local communities because routine traffic surveillance may be feeding immigration enforcement even where local rules appear to forbid it. Agencies using Flock should review which NCIC topics are enabled, and the public can use records requests and contract reviews to verify how ALPR systems are being used.
2026.07.15
66% relevant
The article adds a concrete institutional response to concerns about Flock data access and sharing, including reports that ALPR data has been available to immigration enforcement; LAPD says it wants enforceable limits on who controls and shares the data before resuming use.
Dave Maass
2026.06.24
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct story by documenting a specific ALPR surveillance use case—ICE-linked immigration hotlist matching in Flock Safety systems—and naming agencies found to have it enabled.
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