Immigration and Customs Enforcement had published a solicitation for a tracking database for license plate numbers that “pass through cameras or are voluntarily entered into a system,” to help the agency hunt down fugitives and undocumented immigrants.
“The solicitation, which was posted without the awareness of ICE leadership, has been canceled,” said ICE deputy press secretary Gillian Christensen in an statement to Bloomberg. “While we continue to support a range of technologies to help meet our law enforcement mission, this solicitation will be reviewed to ensure the path forward appropriately meets our operational needs.”
License-plate tracking systems are already in place throughout the country, with practices varying by state and individual enforcement agencies, however privacy advocates voiced concerns over the implications of a nationwide universal database.
“Where people travel can reveal a great deal about them — where they go to the doctor, who all of their friends are, every deviation from their daily routine,” said ACLU staff attorney Catherine Crump. “That is not the type of information that should be collected about each and every one of us when there is no reason to believe we are doing anything wrong.”
It is unclear if ICE plans to push forward with the plan after its initial review, though Christensen promises that the system would only be used for criminal investigations and the data would be collected and stored by a private company rather than the government.
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