US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly come up with a new way of tracking those who are in the US illegally.
In a new report, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says the agency has set up a large, privately maintained database tracking license plate numbers and driver location data.
The nonprofit organization says the database is maintained by Vigilant Solutions and contains billions of location points. Vigilant Solutions is maintaining the system on a $6.1 million contract.
“ICE has long embraced technology to target immigrants,” writes ACLU attorney Vasudha Talla.
“Now it’s taking surveillance to an unprecedented level to target vulnerable communities—and sweeping up everyone else in the process.”
So far, authorities have shared 1.5 billion records on driver whereabouts obtained through covert cameras that capture license plate numbers in order to track criminals or those who have committed traffic offenses, says the ACLU.
The cameras are mounted on police squad cars, road signs and bridges to capture location information on all passing vehicles.
The database is receiving an average of 150 million to 200 million unique license plate snapshots every month.
The system enables ICE to monitor people’s entry and exit to cities over the course of several years.
Over 9,000 ICE officers have access to the database, raising serious concerns over the privacy of the immigrants tracked as well as millions of drivers whose personal details are at their disposal.
“The agency does not use the information to find individuals who have no connection to ICE investigatory or enforcement activities,” ICE spokesman Matthew Bourke tells The Washington Post.
Many “sanctuary cities” such as New York City and Los Angeles, have laws prohibiting police cooperation with ICE agents.
However, ICE is disregarding the laws to obtain location records and track immigrants for deportation.
One of the emails obtained by ACLU shows a friendly exchange between an ICE officer and a detective in Orange County, California.
In the email, the detective is freely sharing location data over the course of several years to the ICE agent.
“Hate to ask, but would you mind running 2 more?” asks the ICE officer in their most recent published message.
“Come on, you really don’t hate to ask.. :)” replied the detective, attaching scan information on two illegal immigrant suspects.
The contract with Vigilant Solutions commenced in February 2018 and is ICE’s third attempt to land such an agreement after the first, in 2014, was quashed by the Department of Homeland Security over privacy concerns.
The US government, led by…
The US government, led by idiot Trump, are doing and using everything in their disposal to, obviously, target Africans and Latinos,exempting their European cousins and other Wazungus whose blood stinks like them. And Trump is as foolish as himself. Do some little math here. A $6.1 million contract could be translated to how many immigrants paying taxes every year, plus paying rent/morgage, buying cars, utilities, college tuition, keeping stores kicking by buying merchadize from Walmart, Sears, JC Penny, Kmart, convenience stores, thrift stores and even keeping those hotdogs or hamburgers at BurgerKing and Macdonald smoking. By the time Trump leaves office, America will surely Useless Again. For my people, have a plan B and C. How you do it is your own shauri. Its sad to live in this senseless HATE from a government you work hard to maintain. Don’t sit there waiting fir it to happen or imagine in the Kenya way, eti wanapiga domo tu. You dont want to be a statistic for Trump’s goons looking for promotion, while wherever you will be,you look at how much you have done for America… and now this. All I knew was that police squad cars were fitted with cameras and gadgets that could scan and swipe your tag numbers, while still on the highway, to pursue those on court warrants or those being sought for other crimes. But this, oo boy.
Its idiotic to insult others…
Its idiotic to insult others. You say what you know very little about. Any country is free to protect its citizens. there is different between immigrants and illigal immigrants. Kenyans are kicking out all Somalis in kenyan camps. Why don’t you tell Uhuru to have all Chinese coming to Kenya stay and get jobs? Trump is doing everything in his power to protect Americans and he should. You do not have to like it, and he will be there for the next 6 years. Meanwhile find something constructive you can do for yourself.