Flock cameras are being used in Kent County and Grand Rapids, but are they being used to get information for Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

For several years, the Kent County Sheriff’s Department has been using 25 cameras that are spread around Kent County, cameras that relay information about vehicles and license plate numbers.

According to a recent article on 404 Media, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now using what are called Flock cameras to obtain license plate numbers to track down undocumented immigrants. The 404 Media article states:

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. 

While state and local law enforcement agencies normally lack the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, the Trump administration has encouraged them to participate in a program called 287(g), a provision of the the Immigration and Nationality Act that authorizes DHS agencies including ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement actions to state and municipal police.

Using the Flock technology provides an additional tool to be used by the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the GRPD and other local law enforcement agencies to assist ICE in hunting down those who are undocumented and those that the administration are targeting, regardless of immigration status.

In addition, if the GOP-introduced legislation from April, House Bills 4336 & 4337, would create criminal penalties for individuals and organizations who knowingly assist or encourage immigrants without legal status in entering, residing, or being transported within the United States. This kind of information could also be obtained through the Flock camera systems being used right here in Kent County. The Michigan House Bills are currently in committee.

One other important point about the use of Flock cameras to obtain information for ICE and local law enforcement was made in a recent article on Common Dreams, stating: 

Responding to the 404 Media report, journalist Krishna Sai Andavolu asked, “If ICE can use a nationwide network of license place readers for its purposes, what’s stopping the government from using it for whatever purposes they want?”

Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE has been pushing the City of Grand Rapids and Kent County to both adopt Sanctuary policies, which involve numerous points such as: 

– policies restricting the ability of state and local police to make arrests for federal immigration violations, or to detain individuals on civil immigration warrants;

– policies restricting the police or other city workers from asking about immigration status;

– policies prohibiting “287(g)” agreements through which ICE deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law;

– policies that prevent local governments from entering into a contract with the federal government to hold immigrants in detention;

– policies preventing immigration detention centers in Grand Rapids.

It could be that these campaigns to pressure both local governing bodies to adopt Sanctuary policies might consider adding that to Flock technology currently being used in Grand Rapids and Kent County could be used to share license plate information with ICE. Regardless, people who live in Kent County should be concerned with the increased surveillance technology being used, technology that will no doubt be used to suppress popular movements, and target vulnerable communities.