15 Michigan Lawmakers Demand End to Border Patrol Camera Deal
Fifteen Democratic state lawmakers sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Transportation on July 27, 2026, demanding the agency terminate a federal agreement that places Border Patrol surveillance cameras on state property. The letter targets MDOT’s Master Maintenance Memorandum of Understanding with U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Sector and Homeland Security Investigations.
The agreement allows federal agencies to install Flock Safety cameras and other automated license plate readers (ALPRs) on MDOT-controlled infrastructure. These cameras track vehicle movements across Michigan roads, capturing data on residents who are not suspected of any crime.
“At a time when communities across the nation are witnessing the expansion of federal surveillance and immigration enforcement activities, Michigan should carefully consider whether state-owned infrastructure should be used to enable systems capable of tracking the movements of millions of residents.”
Michigan House and Senate Democrats, letter to MDOT, July 27, 2026
The lawmakers argue the cameras violate First and Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless surveillance. Their letter requests not only that MDOT terminate the current memorandum but also that the department refuse any future agreements permitting ALPR installation on state infrastructure.
The Agreement Predates the Current Administration
MDOT first signed the license plate reader agreement with the federal government during the Biden administration, according to a copy of the memorandum obtained by Michigan Advance. MDOT’s current policy requires law enforcement agencies installing cameras to certify that data will be used for law enforcement purposes only and will not be sold or transferred for other uses. However, the lawmakers argue those safeguards are insufficient given the scale of tracking enabled by the technology.
Jocelyn Garza, MDOT’s director of communications, told Michigan Advance the department was reviewing the letter and planned to respond. No timeline for that response was given.
The push in Michigan is part of a broader national debate about state agencies voluntarily extending their infrastructure to federal immigration enforcement. ALPR networks create a detailed record of where people travel, data that immigration agents can use to locate and track individuals without a court order.
What You Can Do Now
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Contact MDOT Director of Communications Jocelyn Garza at (517) 241-2400 and tell her MDOT should terminate the Border Patrol memorandum and reject future federal ALPR agreements. MDOT is currently “reviewing” the lawmakers’ letter, meaning this is an open decision point.
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Call your Michigan state representative and senator at (517) 373-0135 (House switchboard) and (517) 373-2400 (Senate switchboard). Ask them to co-sign the letter demanding MDOT end the surveillance agreement. Only 15 of 148 legislators have signed so far.
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Submit a public records request to MDOT for the full memorandum and any data-sharing agreements with HSI or Border Patrol. The Michigan FOIA portal is at michigan.gov/foia. Knowing the full scope of data collection strengthens the case for termination.
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Contact the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan at aclumich.org or (313) 578-6800. The ACLU has tracked state-federal surveillance partnerships nationally and can advise on legal pressure points specific to Michigan’s agreement.
Sources
Michigan Advance: Michigan Democrats Call on MDOT to End Border Patrol Camera Agreement Brennan Center for Justice: How License Plate Readers Are Being Used for Immigration Enforcement ACLU: The Dawn of Robot Surveillance and License Plate Tracking Electronic Frontier Foundation: Automated License Plate Readers Threat to Privacy