Documented Incident
Senate subcommittee examines ALPR use; ACLU witness says Illinois immigration data ban has limits
Event: September 24, 2026 · First reported: September 24, 2026 · 4 sources
At a U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing, lawmakers from both parties questioned witnesses about automated license plate reader cameras made by Flock Safety and other vendors. ACLU policy counsel Chad Marlow told Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., that Illinois' law barring the sharing of Flock-collected data for federal immigration enforcement may be of limited practical effect, since a judicial warrant or administrative subpoena, or a single cooperating local officer running a search, could circumvent it. Subcommittee Chair Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said no executives from Flock Safety, Axon Enterprise or Motorola Solutions agreed to testify, and described a letter he received from Flock CEO Garrett Langley.
The hearing tests whether state-level restrictions on ALPR data sharing can hold up against federal legal process, a question facing every state weighing similar legislation. It also raises the issue of who audits searches when vendors say they rely on agency self-policing.
Key facts
- Hawley said Flock's letter acknowledged the company conducts little oversight of client searches and relies on customers to police themselves, and that searching for humans in images is possible.
- Marlow said ALPR targeting is not limited to immigration, citing searches involving people visiting gun ranges, and called the issue non-partisan.
- Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff Ross Teeple testified that a Flock representative had told him the cameras lacked resolution to recognize a person, which he contrasted with the admission Hawley described.
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban on out-of-state and federal access to collected data; Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey has pledged a full statewide ban on Flock cameras if elected.
- Reported by The Center Square on Sept. 24, 2026.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Congress probes Flock ; Illinois immigration surveillance law may be moot (cities929.com, September 24, 2026)
- Congress probes Flock; Illinois immigration surveillance law may be moot (The Black Chronicle, September 25, 2026)
- Congress probes Flock; Illinois immigration surveillance law may be moot (The Center Square, September 24, 2026)
- Congress probes Flock; Illinois immigration surveillance law may be moot (Home Town Register, September 24, 2026)
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BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 5, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.