U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators have recently expanded their use of controversial databases containing billions of license-plate records, and privacy advocates fear the widespread use of these records will embolden the administration?s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
While the federal agency previously has used the information in a more limited scope, an agreement signed last month grants ICE unprecedented access to private databases containing data generated by automated license-plate readers (LPRs) that detail the whereabouts of vehicles.
Mounted on police cruisers, tow trucks, tollbooths, and elsewhere, license-plate readers are capable of snapping photos of thousands of license plates every hour. Information from these photos, including plate number, time, and location, is stored in databases run by private companies including West Publishing and Vigilant Solutions, the ones ICE began accessing after the contracts were awarded on December 22, 2017. Investigators can utilize this access in two ways: They can add a specific plate number to a ?hot list? and receive real-time notifications when that plate is spotted. Or they can access historical records related to a plate number that, over time, can provide a comprehensive portrait of a driver?s daily patterns and habits. By understanding where cars are typically parked at night, what routes motorists drive to work, or even where drivers attend religious services, ICE officials reason they c...