Stopping the DMV-to-DHS Data Pipeline: Vehicle and Driver Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Agencies

  • Date: October, 2026
Cover page for the report, "Stopping the DMV-to-DHS Data Pipeline: Vehicle and Driver Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Agencies"

“Stopping the DMV-to-DHS Data Pipeline” examines four ongoing pathways through which driver and vehicle data held by state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) is accessed by federal immigration enforcement agencies, via a “DMV-to-DHS pipeline.” These pathways include: 1) directly through database access; 2) through the interstate querying system known as Nlets; 3) through sale to data brokers, who may in turn sell it to ICE/CBP; and 4) through local law enforcement who pass data to ICE/CBP. Researchers examine the experiences of four states—Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Washington—all of whom have passed state laws to curtail the DMV-to-DHS pipeline, and yet, all of whom, to different extents, continue to experience vehicular immigration arrests.

This report follows UWCHR’s January 2026 report, “Roadside Assist: Washington State’s Continued Sharing of Drivers’ Information with Federal Immigration Enforcement.”

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