ACLU of Nevada v. Department of Motor Vehicles

Between February and August 2025, the ACLU of Nevada submitted multiple records requests to the DMV asking for its internal policies related to cooperation with ICE. The DMV denied those requests. After we sent a formal demand letter through the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, the DMV turned over a small set of heavily redacted and incomplete documents establishing undisclosed cooperation with ICE. Even with redactions, the records showed:

ICE requested personal data from the DMV, including addresses and vehicle registration information.

The DMV may have communicated with ICE using Signal, an encrypted messaging app with auto-delete features and no recovery mechanism.

Entire email chains and other referenced communications were missing from the records provided.

Nevada law requires public agencies to preserve official records and make them available upon request. Using encrypted, auto-deleting chats for government business violates record retention rules and raises serious questions about the full extent of the DMV’s cooperation with ICE.

We’re seeking a court order demanding the DMV release all requested records in compliance with Nevada law. Nevadans have a right to know the extent to which their government is cooperating with ICE and the DMV has a legal duty to be transparent with the public.