The ACLU of Nevada has filed a lawsuit against the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), alleging that the agency has repeatedly refused to release records detailing its communications with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The legal action, titled ACLU of Nevada v. Nevada DMV, comes after the organization submitted several public records requests over six months seeking information about the DMV’s internal policies and interactions related to immigration enforcement.
According to the ACLU of Nevada, only after sending a formal demand letter through the Attorney General’s Office did the DMV provide a small number of incomplete and heavily redacted documents. These records confirmed that there had been communication between ICE and the DMV, raising concerns about what information may have been shared between the agencies.
The released documents also reference encrypted Signal messaging groups used by staff at both agencies. Signal is an app known for its end-to-end encryption and auto-delete features, making conversations difficult to trace or recover. Under Nevada law, government agencies are required to preserve official records and make them available upon request. The use of encrypted messaging apps for official business could violate these record retention requirements.
The ACLU of Nevada is asking for a court order compelling the DMV to release all requested records in full compliance with state public records laws. The group also seeks disclosure regarding any Signal group chats between DMV staff and ICE employees, as well as any communications on those platforms. If such chats do not exist, they want clarification about references to them found in redacted emails already provided by the DMV. Additionally, they are calling for an independent investigation into all communications between ICE and the DMV.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of ACLU of Nevada, stated:
“The Nevada DMV maintains one of the largest repositories of information statewide. After stonewalling our attempts for transparency in communication between the DMV and ICE, the records we’ve obtained, even while heavily redacted, suggest significant and problematic communication between the DMV and ICE. References to a Signal group between employees of the Nevada DMV and ICE raises enormous alarms. Signal is an encrypted communications app that makes communication between parties nearly untraceable. Governor 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. Without transparency, there is no accountability, and without accountability, our communities remain at risk.”
Sadmira Ramic, senior staff attorney at ACLU of Nevada added:
“Public records are critical. When an agency refuses to release them, it denies Nevadans their right to know how their government operates. Here, the limited records we have obtained after months of back and forth show the DMV has been working with ICE, the extent of which can't be fully known with heavy record redactions, and suggest the use of Signal to communicate. This lawsuit isn’t about discouraging people from going to the DMV. This is about ensuring those services are carried out in a transparent and accountable way.”