A controversial plan to track license plates, canceled a year ago by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson because of civil liberties concerns, is back, although in a slightly more limited form.
DHS tried last year to build a license plate reading system using cameras to track cars nationwide and compare license numbers to a "hot list" in an attempt to track illegal aliens and other criminals. It abandoned the effort when civil liberties questions were raised by the ACLU and others,
Nextgov reports.
However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) now is seeking bids for a slimmed-down version, limiting its scope to 25 states, 24 densely populated metropolitan areas and six million plates per month — instead of the 30 million originally envisioned,
The Hill reports.
In addition, ICE now is looking to use data from existing commercial systems, rather than creating its own system, The Hill said.
ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement, "ICE modified the solicitation based on feedback from vendors requesting that the minimum threshold for records be lowered in order to facilitate greater competition. ICE has not scaled back the scope or protections. We have lowered some of the minimum requirements to allow additional commercial vendors to participate in this acquisition," The Hill reported.
However, when the proposal originally was floated, the
ACLU released a report, "You Are Being Tracked," which stated, "The implementation of automatic license plate readers poses serious privacy and other civil liberties threats. The knowledge that one is subject to constant monitoring can chill the exercise of our cherished rights to free speech and association."
Five states have laws restricting the use of license plate readers, the sharing of license plate information with private entities, and the length of time license plate data can be retained by law enforcement, the ACLU said.
In its
bid announcement, ICE states, "ICE is neither seeking to build nor contribute to a national public or private LPR (License Plate Reader) database.
"ICE will also use LPR information obtained from the commercial database to further its criminal law enforcement mission, which includes investigations related to national security, illegal arms exports, financial crimes, commercial fraud, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, child pornography and immigration fraud."
The International Association of Chiefs of Police said in 2011 that license plate tracking "could read and collect the license plate numbers of vehicles parked at addiction counseling meetings, doctors' offices, health clinics or even staging areas for political protests," the
St. Cloud Times reported, calling the data-gathering plan "chilling."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.