Nevada DMV Faces Scrutiny Over Communications with ICE
– The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is under increasing pressure following accusations that it has not been fully transparent regarding its interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A judge is considering civil penalties against the agency, citing concerns over withheld records and the use of encrypted communication channels.
The legal battle stems from a lawsuit filed in by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada. The ACLU alleges the DMV initially denied the existence of communications with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, and subsequently provided records that were heavily redacted. The lawsuit, ACLU of Nevada v. Nevada DMV, sought internal policies and communications related to immigration enforcement.
During a hearing on , ACLU attorney Sadmira Ramic asserted that the DMV does not dispute the existence of conversations between its employees and ICE agents via Signal, an encrypted messaging application. However, the agency claims it has no control over the content of these chats because they occur on employees’ personal devices, and accessing them would violate privacy. Ramic countered this argument, referencing a Nevada Supreme Court ruling that extends the Public Records Act to employee-owned devices.
The records obtained by the ACLU, even in their redacted form, suggest “significant and problematic communication” between the DMV and ICE, according to a press release from the organization. Specifically, the records point to the existence of Signal group chats between DMV staff and ICE personnel, the contents of which remain largely unavailable.
Judge Kristin Luis has ordered the DMV to provide all unredacted documents for her review and to submit sworn declarations detailing its record-searching process. She also requested information regarding the agency’s use of Signal, noting that the app’s auto-delete feature could violate state law requiring the preservation of public records.
The dispute is particularly sensitive in Nevada, which is one of 19 states that allows undocumented individuals to obtain driver authorization cards. Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, previously stated that it was unclear whether the communications with ICE related to these cards due to the redactions in the documents provided.
A state law (AB407) prohibits the DMV from sharing personal information for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement. The extent to which the agency has complied with this law is a central question in the ongoing legal proceedings.
Judge Luis indicated she is leaning toward imposing civil penalties against the DMV for failing to comply with public records laws. The agency must provide the requested documents and declarations by .
The case raises broader questions about government transparency and public access to records, particularly concerning collaboration between state and federal agencies on immigration enforcement.
