Cybersecurity Policy Report, Democratic Governors Urged to Block Data-Sharing With ICE, (Nov 12, 2025)
Democratic governors in 19 states are being urged to block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from accessing their states’ driver’s license and vehicle registration information.
An automated system gives ICE “frictionless, self-service access” to drivers’ information, including photos, contained in state databases, according to letters sent to the governors today by 40 congressional Democrats.
“This data sharing is done through a non-profit organization managed by state police agencies known as Nlets—the International Justice & Public Safety Network,” the lawmakers noted.
“Each state can decide for itself the data it makes available through Nlets, the queries it permits federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies to make of its data, and the specific agencies that can (or cannot) access its data,” they said.
They cited reports that ICE agents in the field were using Mobile Fortify, a smartphone app that enables the identification of people through facial recognition (CPR, Sept. 15). “ICE’s Mobile Fortify is reportedly able to access data from Nlets,” they said.
“It is now abundantly clear that a major reason that so few states have locked down the data they share through Nlets is because of an information gap. Because of the technical complexity of Nlets’ system, few state government officials understand how their state is sharing their residents’ data with federal and out-of-state agencies,” the lawmakers told the governors.
“We urge you to block ICE’s access, as Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Washington have already done and Oregon is in the process of doing, and to consider going further by blocking access to other federal agencies,” they recommended.
“This commonsense step will improve public safety and guard against Trump officials using your state’s data for unjustified, politicized actions, while still allowing continued collaboration on serious crimes,” they added.
Lead signatories on the letter were Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D., N.Y.).
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