• SAN FRANCISCO - California must revoke permits allowing federal agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to put automated license plate readers along border highways, a coalition led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice (IVEJ) demanded today. • Gavin Newsom and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Director Dina El-Tawansy, the coalition notes that this invasive mass surveillance - automated license plate readers (ALPRs) often disguised as traffic barrels - puts both residents and migrants at risk of harassment, abuse, detention, and deportation. • Border Patrol) Chief Greg Bovino reported to be returning to El Centro sector, after leading a brutal campaign against immigrants and U.S. • citizens alike in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, it is urgent that your administration take action," the letter says. • “Caltrans must revoke any permits issued to USBP. • CBP, and DEA for these surveillance devices and effectuate their removal.” Coalition members signing the letter include the California Nurses Association; American Federation of Teachers Guild, Local 1931; ACLU California Action; Fight for the Future; Electronic Privacy Information Center; Just Futures Law; Jobs to Move America; Project on Government Oversight; American Friends Service Committee U.S./Mexico Border Program; Survivors of Torture, International; Partnership for the Ad

Article Summaries:

  • A coalition of civil‑rights and privacy groups, led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice, has urged California Governor Gavin Newsom and Caltrans to revoke permits that allow federal agencies-Customs and Border Patrol, the DEA, and USBP-to install automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs) on border highways. The coalition argues that these covert devices, often disguised as traffic barrels, facilitate mass surveillance and pose risks of harassment, detention, and deportation for residents and migrants. The letter cites California law that bars state agencies from sharing ALPR data with out‑of‑state entities, a restriction federal agencies are reportedly bypassing. EFF researchers mapped more than 40 such ALPRs in San Diego and Imperial counties, and Caltrans documents confirm pending permits. The coalition calls for an investigation, revocation of existing permits, and removal of the devices.

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