Skip to content

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025

Is a private security company known for sharing license-plate data with ICE operating in Arizona?

Tallulah Anne, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
yes

Flock Safety — a private company that has acknowledged federal immigration agents can access its license-plate reader data — operates in several Arizona cities. Police departments in Flagstaff, Prescott Valley and Scottsdale use Flock cameras, while Sedona paused its program in August amid community concerns over surveillance and data-sharing.

Flock Safety does not appear to have a formal agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but data obtained by 404 Media revealed ICE had indirectly accessed Flock’s system thousands of times through local police departments. An AZCIR review of that data confirmed Arizona law-enforcement agencies appeared in the records, with search terms like “ICE ASSIST.” 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

  • Residents petition Flagstaff to end Flock license plate cameras, KNAU
  • Action Item List, Sedoa City Council
  • PVPD is Partnering with FLOCK Safety to Keep Communities Safer, Prescott Valley
  • ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows, 404 Media
  • Flock admits federal immigration agents have direct access to tracking data, despite previous claims, 9News

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.