(The Center Square) – The Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state Department of Motor Vehicles over records related to immigration enforcement.
The suit accuses the DMV of repeatedly failing to release public records related to its policies and communication concerning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nevada is one of 19 states that issues drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants.
The lawsuit was filed Friday in the state’s First Judicial District Court in Carson City. It follows multiple public records requests over six months from the ACLU of Nevada, according to the nonprofit’s press release.
The DMV released a small set of “incomplete, heavily-redacted records” after a letter was sent through Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office, the ACLU said.
“Those records confirmed communications between ICE and the Nevada DMV, which raise serious concerns about the information shared between the agencies,” the ACLU said. It added that the records suggest there were encrypted Signal communications between the DMV and ICE.
“Gov. [Joe] Lombardo must make all records between the Nevada DMV and ICE transparent to the public without redactions to best protect the privacy interests of Nevadans,” ACLU Executive Director Athar Haseebullah said. “Without transparency, there is no accountability, and without accountability, our communities remain at risk.”
The Center Square reached out Monday to the Nevada DMV, which declined to comment.
“We understand the public interest in this matter,” spokesperson Hailey Foster told The Center Square in an email. “However, because it is currently the subject of active litigation, we are not in a position to comment at this time. We will provide updates if and when it becomes appropriate to do so.”
In other immigration news, Lombardo, a Republican, on Friday authorized the deployment of a small number of Nevada National Guard members to respond to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s request for help.
Homeland Security asked for up to 35 soldiers, which is less than 1% of the state’s approximately 4,500 National Guard members, according to a news release from Lombardo’s office.
The Governor’s Office said the National Guard won’t be involved with law enforcement or detainment. The soldiers will focus on clerical, administrative and logistical support, the office said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has sanctioned the deployment through Nov. 15, according to the Governor’s Office.