# States Inadvertently Providing Driver Data to ICE
Democratic lawmakers have raised alarm over a widespread pra...
Democratic lawmakers have raised alarm over a widespread practice in which state governments are unintentionally sharing sensitive driver's license information with federal immigration authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The revelation has sparked urgent calls for governors to halt the data sharing and prompted investigations into how personal information flows through law enforcement networks without public knowledge or explicit consent.[1][3]
The issue centers on a decades-old system called the Nationa...
The issue centers on a decades-old system called the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, or Nlets, a non-profit organization managed by state police agencies that facilitates data sharing between law enforcement agencies at all levels. For approximately two decades, most states have made residents' personal data—including driver's license information, addresses, and vehicle registration details—available through Nlets to roughly 18,000 federal and local law enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada.[1]
## The Scope of Data Sharing
The scale of data access through this system is staggering....
The scale of data access through this system is staggering. According to the letter sent by Democratic lawmakers to governors, Nlets facilitated over 290 million queries for DMV data in the year before October 1, 2025, with more than 290,000 queries originating from ICE and approximately 600,000 from Homeland Security Investigations.[1] Despite these massive numbers, most state officials remain unaware of how extensively their residents' information is being accessed by federal agencies.
The lawmakers argue that the primary reason more states have...
The lawmakers argue that the primary reason more states have not restricted this data sharing is an "information gap." Because of the technical complexity of Nlets' system, few state government officials understand the mechanics of how their state's data is being shared with federal and out-of-state agencies.[1]
## Multiple Pathways to Access
The problem extends beyond the Nlets system. Investigations...
The problem extends beyond the Nlets system. Investigations have uncovered multiple routes through which federal immigration authorities access driver data. In Washington state, the Department of Licensing has open agreements with ICE, Border Patrol, and three other Homeland Security departments that provide 24/7 access to an information portal containing names, addresses, driving histories, and vehicle information.[2]
Additionally, private companies and surveillance systems hav...
Additionally, private companies and surveillance systems have become an alternative avenue for federal access. Flock Safety, a company that operates automated license plate readers (ALPRs), has inadvertently provided Border Patrol and ICE with access to vast amounts of driver movement data collected by local law enforcement agencies across the country. In some cases, local police departments unknowingly enabled this access by accepting data-sharing invitations without realizing they were joining a national network that would automatically grant federal agencies access.[5][7]
A University of Washington report found that Border Patrol h...
A University of Washington report found that Border Patrol had "back door" access to license plate data from at least ten law enforcement agencies in Washington state without those agencies explicitly authorizing such access. Local officials in Auburn and Lakewood stated they were unaware of Border Patrol's access until the report was released and have since revoked the access.[7]
## Growing Concern Over Immigration Enforcement
The timing of these revelations has intensified concerns amo...
The timing of these revelations has intensified concerns among civil liberties advocates. Federal agents have significantly ramped up their searches of driver data portals since the 2024 presidential election, despite existing state laws that restrict such sharing.[2] Immigration advocates worry that this sensitive personal information could be weaponized for immigration enforcement operations, including raids and deportations.
The Lorena Gonzalez of the ACLU of Washington emphasized the...
The Lorena Gonzalez of the ACLU of Washington emphasized the community's sense of "betrayal," calling on Governor Bob Ferguson to halt state agencies from sharing private data with the federal government unless explicitly mandated by law.[2] Advocates also fear that driver data could be used to target individuals accessing reproductive healthcare or gender-affirming care, services that have become politically contentious.[7]
## Calls for Action
Democratic lawmakers sent letters to governors in Arizona, C...
Democratic lawmakers sent letters to governors in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin, urging them to block ICE and "other federal agencies that are now acting as Trump's shock troops" from accessing their residents' data through Nlets.[1] The lawmakers argue that states have the authority to restrict access and should exercise it immediately.
The situation represents a critical privacy vulnerability in...
The situation represents a critical privacy vulnerability in which residents' most sensitive personal information—including their home addresses, photographs, and movement patterns—can be accessed by federal immigration authorities without their knowledge or consent. The technical complexity of the systems involved has allowed this practice to continue largely unexamined for two decades, leaving millions of Americans exposed to potential immigration enforcement actions based on data they never knowingly authorized to be shared.
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:00:48 PM
Democratic lawmakers have escalated pressure on state governors in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin after uncovering that their states are sharing drivers' license data with ICE through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), with over 290,000 queries from ICE alone during the year before October 1, 2025.[1] Community advocates and privacy groups have expressed outrage, with the ACLU Washington calling for Governor Ferguson to immediately halt all data sharing with federal agencies unless legally required, following investigations that revealed ICE searches of Washington's Department of Licensing portal skyrocketed 188% since Trump's November 2024 election victory.[2] The lawmakers' letter criticized the "information
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:11:00 PM
Democratic lawmakers sent letters today to governors in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin warning that their states are inadvertently sharing drivers' data with ICE through Nlets, a non-profit system managed by state police agencies that facilitated over 290 million queries for DMV data, including more than 290,000 queries from ICE in the year before October 1, 2025.[1] The lawmakers urged these governors to "block access to ICE and other federal agencies that are now acting as Trump's shock troops," citing an "information gap" where few state officials understand the technical complexity of how their residents' personal data is being shared with federal immigration authorities.[1] This government response comes as federal agents
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:21:03 PM
Public outrage is mounting after revelations that multiple Democratic-led states, including Washington and California, have inadvertently provided U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with access to millions of drivers’ records through data-sharing networks like Nlets and Flock. Advocates and residents are expressing shock and betrayal, with Lorena Gonzalez of the ACLU Washington stating, “The community feels universally betrayed,” as federal agents’ searches of Washington’s Department of Licensing portal surged 188% since November 2024, reaching over 1,600 queries in May alone. In response, calls are growing for governors to immediately halt all non-essential data sharing, with protesters demanding greater transparency and accountability over how their personal information is used.
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:31:13 PM
Democratic-led states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin, are inadvertently providing ICE with frictionless access to drivers’ license data through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which facilitated over 290 million DMV queries, including 290,000 from ICE alone in the past year[1][3][6]. Lawmakers have warned governors to block this access, noting that it enables ICE’s immigration enforcement while bypassing state privacy safeguards[1]. Meanwhile, Washington State’s Department of Licensing quietly reinstated ICE and other federal agencies’ access to driver data after prior restrictions, resulting in a 188% surge in data requests since November 2024, despite state laws prohibiting such sharing for deportation purposes[2][10
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:41:15 PM
A recent investigation reveals that multiple Democratic-led states are inadvertently providing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with access to driver data through complex, poorly understood technical systems like the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets) and automated license plate reader (ALPR) networks. State records show over 290 million queries for DMV data were facilitated by Nlets in the past year, with more than 290,000 specifically from ICE, while ALPR systems like Flock have exposed millions of license plate scans to thousands of agencies—including federal immigration authorities—often without explicit local authorization. “Because of the technical complexity of Nlets’ system, few state government officials understand how their state is sharing their residents’
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 5:51:18 PM
Democratic lawmakers have formally urged governors in states including California, Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from accessing drivers' data, citing that states are inadvertently sharing this information through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which facilitated over 290 million DMV data queries in the year before October 1, 2025, with ICE alone making over 290,000 queries during that period[1]. In Washington state, lawmakers and advocates have called for immediate cessation of data sharing after investigations revealed the Department of Licensing reopened data access agreements with ICE and related Homeland Security agencies, leading to a 188% surge in federal data searches since November 2024, despite state policies prohibiting such sharing for immigration enforcement
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 6:01:17 PM
Democratic lawmakers have issued urgent warnings to governors in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin, revealing that their states are inadvertently providing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with unfettered access to residents’ driver’s license data through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets). According to recent letters, Nlets facilitated over 290 million queries for DMV data in the past year, including more than 290,000 from ICE and 600,000 from Homeland Security Investigations, with lawmakers stressing that most state officials remain unaware of the extent of this data sharing due to the system’s technical complexity. The lawmakers cite examples like Washington state, where federal searches of driver data surged
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 6:11:34 PM
Democratic-led states including California, Colorado, and Wisconsin are unintentionally sharing drivers' license data with ICE through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which handled over 290 million DMV data queries last year, including more than 290,000 from ICE alone[1]. This inadvertent data access is reshaping the competitive landscape for states trying to protect residents' privacy, as lawmakers warn that few officials understand the complex Nlets system enabling such seamless federal access[1]. The controversy has intensified pressure on states to block ICE’s access, highlighting a growing divide between privacy-focused states and federal immigration enforcement priorities[1][5].
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 6:21:16 PM
Democratic lawmakers have formally warned governors in states including California, Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin that their residents’ driver data is being inadvertently shared with ICE through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which facilitated over 290 million DMV data queries in the year before October 1, 2025—more than 290,000 of which came from ICE. In response to public outcry and investigative reporting, Washington State recently terminated ICE’s access to its driver and vehicle database after confirming federal violations of data-sharing agreements, with state officials acknowledging the breach and committing to increased oversight. States like Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Washington have now restricted or blocked ICE’s access, citing the
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 6:31:28 PM
Democratic-led states including California, Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin are inadvertently sharing drivers’ license data with ICE through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which facilitated over 290 million DMV data queries last year, including more than 290,000 from ICE[1]. This has prompted lawmakers to pressure governors to block ICE’s “frictionless” access, reshaping the competitive landscape by intensifying scrutiny of state data-sharing practices amid rising tensions over privacy and immigration enforcement[1]. States now face increased pressure to secure data systems, potentially leading to stricter controls that could limit federal access and alter interagency data-sharing dynamics.
🔄 Updated: 11/12/2025, 6:41:23 PM
Democratic-led states including California, Colorado, and Wisconsin have inadvertently allowed ICE access to residents' driver data through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), which facilitates frictionless sharing of DMV information among about 18,000 law enforcement agencies. In the year before October 1, 2025, Nlets recorded over 290 million DMV data queries, with ICE alone making more than 290,000 requests and Homeland Security Investigations about 600,000. The technical complexity of Nlets' system has contributed to state officials’ lack of awareness regarding how extensively their residents' data is being shared with federal agencies, raising significant privacy and legal concerns[1].