Several U.S.cities that contract with surveillance company Flock Safety are reportedly taking unusual steps to limit the use of their license plate reader camera networks amid growing concerns about data sharing with federal immigration authorities.

According to reporting cited from 404 Media, cities including Dayton, Ohio, and Evanston, Illinois, have begun covering some of their cameras with trash bags rather than immediately uninstalling them.

Officials in Dayton reportedly took this step after months of resident complaints, a controversy involving accidental data sharing tied to immigration enforcement, and a $30,000 audit examining how the system is being used.

City leaders also expressed uncertainty about whether they were contractually allowed to fully remove the cameras or if they were still active within the network.

In Evanston, officials similarly covered cameras after reports suggested that data from their system may have been accessible to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through Flock Safety’s broader national network.

The situation has raised legal and operational questions about how much control municipalities actually retain over surveillance infrastructure once it is integrated into nationwide databases.

Civil liberties advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have raised concerns that systems like Flock’s could contribute to the development of a large-scale surveillance infrastructure, potentially extending beyond local law enforcement use.

While these systems are marketed as tools for public safety and crime prevention, critics argue they may also enable broader tracking of individuals, including for immigration enforcement purposes.

The report also references previous controversies, including a case in Texas where a police officer reportedly used Flock’s national database to search for a woman based on her abortion history, further fueling debates over privacy, oversight, and the expanding use of surveillance technology in the United States.