"They started showing up after California granted permits to the Border Patrol and other federal agencies to place license plate readers on state highways in the last months of the Biden administration. Now as many as 40 are feeding information into Trump administration databases as the Democratic-led state chafes over the federal government's massive deportation program."
"The cameras are raising concerns with privacy experts, civil liberties advocates and humanitarian aid workers who say California should not be supporting the surveillance and data-collection program, which they view as an unwarranted government intrusion into the lives of Americans who've committed no crime. Moreover, they say the program conflicts with state law."
"Supporters say the devices allow law enforcement to quickly identify and locate people they suspect of serious crimes. They also argue the cameras help agencies spot patterns in drug and human trafficking, and could be used to help locate missing persons, such as children or other vulnerable people."
Hidden license plate reader cameras have been discovered on remote roads in San Diego and Imperial counties, installed by Border Patrol and federal agencies following permits granted by California in the final months of the Biden administration. These devices, concealed in trailers and construction barrels, capture license plate information from every passing vehicle and feed data into Trump administration databases. Privacy experts, civil liberties advocates, and humanitarian workers oppose the program, arguing it constitutes unwarranted government surveillance of citizens who have committed no crimes and conflicts with state law. Supporters contend the cameras help law enforcement identify suspects in serious crimes, detect trafficking patterns, and locate missing persons. The surveillance network has generated significant debate between federal enforcement priorities and state privacy protections.
#license-plate-readers #border-surveillance #privacy-rights #federal-state-conflict #immigration-enforcement
Read at Los Angeles Times
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