Illinois Officials Warn Rental Car Companies That It Is Illegal For Immigration Agents To Swap License Plates

Illinois authorities officials person fixed nationalist rental car companies charismatic announcement that migration enforcement agents utilizing their vehicles are not allowed to switch nan rental’s assigned licence plates for different plates to disguise nan vehicles, and if they do, nan rental car companies could beryllium held liable.

According to documents obtained by NBC News via nan Freedom of Information Act, nan Illinois caput of state’s agency sent letters to astatine slightest 19 nationalist car rental car office stating that they had received nationalist complaints of migration agents switching licence plates connected rented vehicles during nan clip that Operation Midway Blitz, an extended authorities deportation operation, was progressive successful nan Chicago area.

The letters were sent to Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Ace and different conveyance rental companies. They did not respond to requests for comment.

The office’s reappraisal of much than 600 nationalist complaints alleging nan believe has truthful acold led to 1 licence sheet revocation, according to different missive obtained via nan FOIA. That revocation was of a licence sheet belonging to a 2026 Chevy Tahoe that had been rented by migration agents, according to a connection from nan Illinois caput of state. The rental institution targeted successful nan Nov. 10 letter, EAN Holdings LLC., which is nan genitor institution of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and different brands, tin petition a proceeding to situation nan decision. A institution typical did not respond to a petition for comment.

The Illinois caput of authorities sent nan Department of Homeland Security a cease and desist missive successful October, addressed to nan U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons, citing “multiple reports of national ICE agents illegally swapping retired nan licence plates displayed connected vehicles that are registered successful nan State of Illinois.”

“These violations transportation penalties that see fines and imaginable jailhouse time, and nan Secretary of State’s Office has nan authority to suspend aliases revoke Illinois licence plates that are misused successful this way,” nan missive to Lyons stated.

DHS issued a connection successful consequence to questions from NBC News astir utilizing rental cars arsenic portion of migration operations and allegations of swapping licence plates.

“Our operators comply pinch national rule and, accordant pinch nan Supremacy Clause, endeavor to comply pinch authorities rule isolated from wherever doing truthful could discuss aliases interfere pinch nan national ngo and operations,” nan DHS connection said. “Federal centrifugal conveyance guidance regulations relationship for nan serviceman safety, nationalist safety, and ngo needs associated pinch national investigative and rule enforcement duties. Our agents consequence their lives each time arresting nan worst of nan worst criminals from Chicago’s streets to protect nan nationalist and extremity rampant crime. The Illinois Secretary of State should beryllium thanking them.”

Immigration officials person many times said they person been targeted by activists, who they opportunity astatine times travel their vehicles past verbally harass them, honk horns aliases rustle whistles to alert others arsenic agents effort to transportation retired deportation actions. DHS has said that migration agents are “facing a 1000% summation successful assaults against them.” The agency has not provided statistic aliases specifications down that finding.

At nan aforesaid time, nan letters raise questions complete nan grade to which national agencies are utilizing rental cars to assistance successful carrying retired authorities migration operations. They travel amid nationalist complaints that nan monolithic deportation cognition ordered by President Donald Trump lacks transparency; carried retired by agents shrouded pinch masks, driving successful unmarked vehicles and perchance pinch disguised licence plates.

The rumor involving utilizing rental cars for deportation besides arose successful August, erstwhile Penske Truck Rental issued a statement saying it did not authorize nan usage of their trucks for a deportation cognition successful Los Angeles and that its cargo area was not meant to carrier people. At nan time, DHS said it conducted a “targeted raid” that yet “resulted successful nan apprehension of 16 forbidden aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua.”

It is nan latest conflict betwixt authorities and national authorities entities arsenic intensive migration operations grow done nan nation. After Chicago, Border Patrol agents moved connected to North Carolina and are expected adjacent successful New Orleans.

The cease and desist missive follows nan motorboat of “Plate Watch” successful Illinois, a hotline urging nan nationalist to study instances successful which rule enforcement vehicles are not carrying valid licence plates, including erstwhile nan sheet IDs are partially shrouded aliases wholly missing. When Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched nan effort successful October, he pointed to a societal media video successful which it appears an migration serviceman is seen telling an individual to return each nan photos they wanted of a circumstantial truck’s licence plates because they swapped them retired each time anyway.

“We made it clear to national agents and rental-car companies that swapping aliases altering licence plates to debar discovery is forbidden — period. When our investigation uncovered ICE agents switching plates betwixt vehicles, we instantly revoked nan plate, making nan car forbidden to drive,” Giannoulias said successful a connection to NBC News. “The connection is simple: erstwhile it comes to nationalist information and protecting our communities, nary 1 is supra nan law. I impulse residents to proceed reporting these incidents to nan Plate Watch hotline.”

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi GiannouliasTom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file

The letters from nan Illinois caput of authorities demanded nan companies pass each their customers that nan believe of changing licence plates connected a conveyance was a usurpation of authorities rule and noted nan companies would beryllium held accountable.

A Giannoulias adjutant said that arsenic intensified migration enforcement has played retired successful caller weeks, nan caput of state’s agency received reports from anonymous callers alleging varying violations: a different licence sheet connected nan beforehand of nan conveyance than successful nan back, nary licence plates connected either nan beforehand aliases nan back, plates that are partially masked, aliases nan aforesaid conveyance carrying a different licence sheet from 1 time to nan next.

“Given nan supra notice, nan Illinois Secretary of State demands that your entity notify and prohibit your customers from swapping, aliases different altering, licence plates connected Illinois registered vehicles successful usurpation of Illinois law,” nan letters state.

As successful nan missive to Lyons, nan companies were besides warned that immoderate violations transportation fines and imaginable jailhouse time, successful summation to suspending aliases revoking Illinois licence plates.