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Santa Ana and ICE collaborate on mass surveillance operations

Nov 11, 2025·Location: Santa Ana, CA

Santa Ana and ICE collaborate on mass surveillance operations
Photo via calonews.com

The Santa Ana Police Department has deployed approximately 57 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras from Flock Safety and Motorola to track all drivers in the city, with data shared in national databases; department figures show only 0.02% of scans in one week connected to a criminal investigation. A city council majority approved the camera contracts in May despite other cities dropping similar agreements and reports that neighboring Orange County Sheriff's Department and LAPD have shared ALPR data with ICE in violation of state law. Simultaneously, ICE is establishing a 24/7 social media surveillance team at the Pacific Enforcement Response Center in Santa Ana to identify and target individuals for arrest, part of a broader public-private partnership between local law enforcement and immigration authorities.

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