Shelton police audit reveals immigration-related license plate searches

An audit of the Shelton Police Department’s automated license plate reader network revealed hundreds of searches by outside agencies linked to immigration enforcement. The review of approximately 2.67 million entries, covering the period from April 2025 through July 2026, identified 943 searches with a “strong immigration-related connection,” citing reasons such as ICE, deportation, Border Patrol, or human smuggling.

An additional 1,952 entries referenced Homeland Security Investigations or other immigration-enforcement agencies, though the audit could not definitively confirm if these were for immigration purposes or other federal investigations. These searches occurred while the department’s Flock license plate reader network was operating under former nationwide-sharing settings.

Shelton police stated that none of the immigration-related searches were conducted by department personnel. The department has since eliminated access for out-of-state agencies and limited access to authorized Washington law enforcement for approved purposes. Under current safeguards, Flock data cannot be used for federal immigration enforcement.