ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows

[highplainsdem]

Source: 404 Media

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 is being used by ICE, according to data reviewed by 404 Media. Local police around the country are performing lookups in Flock’s AI-powered automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system for “immigration” related searches and as part of other ICE investigations, giving federal law enforcement side-door access to a tool that it currently does not have a formal contract for.

The massive trove of lookup data was obtained by researchers who asked to remain anonymous to avoid potential retaliation and shared with 404 Media. It shows more than 4,000 nation and statewide lookups by local and state police done either at the behest of the federal government or as an “informal” favor to federal law enforcement, or with a potential immigration focus, according to statements from police departments and sheriff offices collected by 404 Media. It shows that, while Flock does not have a contract with ICE, the agency sources data from Flock’s cameras by making requests to local law enforcement. The data reviewed by 404 Media was obtained using a public records request from the Danville, Illinois Police Department, and shows the Flock search logs from police departments around the country.

As part of a Flock search, police have to provide a “reason” they are performing the lookup. In the “reason” field for searches of Danville’s cameras, officers from across the U.S. wrote “immigration,” “ICE,” “ICE+ERO,” which is ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the section that focuses on deportations; “illegal immigration,” “ICE WARRANT,” and other immigration-related reasons. Although lookups mentioning ICE occurred across both the Biden and Trump administrations, all of the lookups that explicitly list “immigration” as their reason were made after Trump was inaugurated, according to the data.

-snip-

“I can't speak for the company as a whole, but I was unaware that Flock's tools were being used by local departments in collaboration with ICE. I'm disappointed, but not surprised,” a Flock source said. 404 Media granted the source anonymity as they were not permitted to speak to the press. “It's really important that people understand how this tech—which they pay for with tax dollars—is used, since ultimately it's up to state and local governments to draw the boundaries of fair use by law enforcement.”

Read more: https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/

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SCOOP: ICE, HSI, and DHS are getting side-door access to the nationwide system of Flock license plate cameras by asking local police to perform lookups for them, new public records show.

ICE does *not* have a contract to use this surveillance tool itself.

www.404media.co/ice-taps-int...

— Jason Koebler (@jasonkoebler.bsky.social) 2025-05-27T13:40:55.844Z

[FakeNoose]

1. This is so wrong and so un-American

How can they determine that someone is an immigrant by looking up the data of the car-tag registrant?

If I'm driving a car that is registered to someone named "Mohammed" - and it may not even be my car - does it mean I'll be stopped by ICE thugs? What about the fact that I didn't break any traffic laws?

This is crazy and it needs to be stopped.

[DBoon]

2. Like something the Gestapo would do

ICE is offended at the comparison because it is true.

[DENVERPOPS]

3. Yup

a lot of intersections around Denverland have camera's.......high accident intersections to record who is at fault, recording and ticketing red light runners, etc
I have noticed many NEW types of Cameras being installed at intersections this past year and have wondered what they are for....... and wondering who it is exactly that is monitoring them, and to what purpose......and who is paying for them....

[FakeNoose]

4. It's happening here in Pittsburgh also

I don't think we can stop this new trend of catching the red-light runners via high-tech gadgets. I'm actually in favor of this use of cameras if it means the drivers will behave better, drive more safely and follow the traffic laws.

My comment is about ICE using this safety technology in order to track down drivers via looking up those "foreign-sounding" names on their car registrations. Someone with a foreign-sounding name could easily be a legal US citizen and born in the USA. Also the camera technology is only meant to catch drivers who are breaking local traffic laws. Never for illegally stopping people who might be (but probably aren't) illegal immigrants.

[Buddyzbuddy]

5. It is up to municipalities to remove video surveillance.

Yes it may cause a risk to safety but the risk of losing one's freedom and privacy are greater. They don't have to be removed just rendered inoperable for 3.75 years. That includes mobile plate readers.
Make your state and local governments account to you not the Felon and his henchmen.
Red states, I have no answer for you, sorry.

[C Moon]

6. I think we'd all be in shock...

if we found out how much of our freedom and privacy have already been lost.

[woodsprite]

7. I suspect it won't be long before they tap into Ring security systems.

We don't have one, although our local police were trying to sell us on the idea when they were having to come out for some pre-election vandalism we were experiencing. We just extracted the video from our own camera system and sent them the file.

[EarthFirst]

8. Sure would be a shame if these surveillance systems were to go offline...

…how exactly is anyone’s guess.