The ACLU of Nevada and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are set to appear in court on Friday over a dispute regarding public records. The hearing will address whether the DMV must release additional documents, including communications with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and if the agency’s actions have violated Nevada’s public records law.
The case, ACLU of Nevada v. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, Case No. 25 EW 00026 1B, centers on the DMV’s response to requests for information about its coordination with ICE. According to the ACLU of Nevada, the DMV initially refused to provide any documents in response to their public records requests. After a formal demand letter was sent, the DMV released a limited number of heavily redacted and incomplete records.
Despite these redactions, some documents revealed previously undisclosed cooperation between the DMV and ICE, including requests for personal data such as addresses and vehicle registration details. The ACLU also noted that entire email chains were missing from the provided materials and suggested that some communications may have occurred via Signal, an encrypted messaging app that uses auto-delete features and does not allow message recovery.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, said:
“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.”
The hearing will take place at 9:30 a.m., Friday, February 6, 2026 at First Judicial District Court in Carson City before Judge Kristin Luis.
The ACLU of Nevada is seeking a court order requiring full disclosure of all requested records under state law.
