RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The ACLU of Nevada and the Nevada DMV will appear in court Friday over the agency’s coordination with ICE.
The ACLU claims the DMV failed to comply with public records requests seeking information about their coordination with the immigration enforcement agency.
The court will hear oral arguments on whether the DMV must disclose additional records, including communications with ICE, and whether the agency’s actions violated Nevada public records law.
The hearing will take place in Carson City on Friday.
The ACLU says that, for months after their records request, the DMV refused to turn over any documents, and that only after sending a formal demand letter did the agency provide a limited number of heavily redacted and incomplete records, missing entire email chains and other referenced communications.
The ACLU says records reveal undisclosed cooperation with ICE, including requests for personal data like addresses and vehicle registration information. They also accuse the DMV of communicating with ICE via the encrypted messaging app Signal.
The ACLU is seeking a court order demanding the release of all requested records in compliance with Nevada law.
“When a government agency is communicating with ICE in secret, the stakes are not theoretical. These communications have real and immediate consequences for immigrant families and entire communities across Nevada. Nevadans have a right to know when state agencies may be facilitating immigration enforcement and whether that cooperation complies with the law. Transparency is essential when government actions carry the power to disrupt families, destabilize communities, and permanently alter people’s lives. Secrecy in this context is not harmless. It erodes trust and puts real people at risk,” said ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah.
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
