Summary of CRCL Recommendation Memo and ICE's Response: Use of Facial Recognition Databases

In February 2020, CRCL opened a complaint based on a Washington Post article that reported that ICE had conducted facial-recognition searches on millions of driver’s license photos in a Maryland database without receiving approval from either the state or a court. According to the article, immigrant rights groups alleged that ICE was conducting enforcement actions on undocumented noncitizens by accessing their driver’s license photos in this database. The article alleged concerns about a potential chilling effect on noncitizens seeking drivers’ licenses in Maryland.