Overview
- Sen. Ed Markey sent a letter calling the license‑plate reader network an invasive surveillance system and raising Fourth Amendment concerns.
- Rep. Dan Goldman and Sen. Mark Warner questioned the legality of flagging drivers via algorithms and urged immediate disclosure about the program.
- AP reported that CBP’s Border Patrol taps federal, state, local and private plate data, hides some readers in traffic equipment, and operates in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Houston and Phoenix.
- The system scans plates and uses travel origin, destination and route to flag vehicles, leading to stops, searches and some arrests, with referrals to local police for traffic‑based pretext stops.
- CBP has said the technology targets threats and is governed by strict policies and law, as AP also noted a $2.7 billion administration proposal to expand surveillance infrastructure.