• (This appeared as an op-ed published February 12, 2026 in the San Jose Spotlight, written by Huy Tran (SIREN), Jeffrey Wang (CAIR-SFBA), and Jennifer Pinsof.) As ICE and other federal agencies continue their assault on civil liberties, local leaders are stepping up to protect their communities. • This includes pushing back against automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, which are tools of mass surveillance that can be weaponized against immigrants, political dissidents and other targets. • In recent weeks, Mountain View, Los Altos Hills, Santa Cruz, East Palo Alto and Santa Clara County have begun reconsidering their ALPR programs. • San Jose should join them. • This dangerous technology poses an unacceptable risk to the safety of immigrants and other vulnerable populations. • ALPRs are marketed to promote public safety.

Article Summaries:

  • San Jose is urged to terminate its use of Flock Safety’s automated license‑plate‑reader (ALPR) system after a February 12, 2026 op‑ed by Huy Tran, Jeffrey Wang, and Jennifer Pinsof. The piece argues that ALPRs, marketed for public safety, actually track all drivers and can be accessed by federal agencies, including ICE, often without warrants. It cites recent actions by Mountain View, Los Altos Hills, Santa Cruz, East Palo Alto, and Santa Clara County that have shut down or reconsidered Flock contracts. The authors call on San Jose to follow suit to safeguard immigrant communities and uphold civil liberties.

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