CHICAGO — Illinois is attempting to crack down on federal officers who try to disguise their vehicles in pursuit of undocumented individuals.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias on Wednesday launched “Plate Watch,” a hotline urging the public to report instances where law enforcement vehicles are not carrying valid license plates, including when the plate IDs are partially shrouded or entirely missing.
As he launched the effort, Giannoulias held up a social media video in which an immigration officer is seen telling a protester to take all the photos they wanted of a specific truck’s license plates because they swapped them out every day anyway.
A Giannoulias aide said that, as this intensified enforcement has played out in recent weeks, the secretary of state’s office received reports from anonymous callers complaining of varying violations: a different license plate on the front of the vehicle than in the back, no license plates on either the front or the back, plates that are partially masked, or the same vehicle carrying a different license plate from one day to the next.
The office said each of those instances is a violation of Illinois law.
The reports illustrate the intensifying confrontations between a public that’s already complained that immigration enforcement agents are attempting to deflect accountability by wearing masks and a federal agency that says it must protect its officers.
“Swapping out license plates or tampering with them to avoid or conceal detection is illegal, unsafe and will not be tolerated in Illinois,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “No one, including federal agents, is above the law, and we intend to hold them accountable, especially while driving on our roadways. This is a matter of public safety and protecting the wellbeing of our communities.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Since September, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have engaged in a series of high-profile, aggressive arrests in the Chicago area that led to a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order against some of their tactics, including the use of tear gas and pepper spray against protesters and journalists. Recent federal court rulings in Chicago also dictate that immigration agents must wear identifying badges or IDs, unless they’re undercover, and that they wear — and turn on — body cameras.
During the efforts, a network of advocate- and volunteer-led “rapid response” teams defending immigrants regularly deploy across the area, alerting communities of immigration patrols or arrests.
DHS previously said that ICE agents are “facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them.” The agency has not provided statistics or details behind the finding.
NBC News earlier this month observed a law enforcement truck parked in the middle of the roadway on 25th Avenue during a crowded protest in the village of Broadview, outside of an immigration arrest processing facility. The truck was part of greater law enforcement presence. It was not clear to which policing branch it belonged, but it was missing a front license plate and part of the rear plate was taped over to disguise its identifying numbers.
In the video he released Wednesday, Giannoulias said he has “zero tolerance” for the switching or obscuring of license plates. “You see, swapping out Illinois registered license plates on Illinois registered vehicles is illegal,” he said.
As far as consequences, the office said offenses can carry fines, result in jail time, and the secretary of state can suspend or revoke a vehicle’s license plates.
Giannoulias also made clear that under state law, Illinois registered vehicles must have two license plates — front and back.
“While vehicles registered in other states may only require a rear license plate, all vehicles driving on Illinois roads must have proper licensing in accordance with the laws of their state,” a statement from the office said Wednesday.
DHS said in a post on X in mid-October that its officers had “made over 1,500 arrests across Illinois including of pedophiles, vicious gang members, and armed robbers.”
Federal judges have questioned DHS’ credibility on its actions in Illinois and whom agents have targeted in their arrests. At one point, a judge ordered the Border Patrol chief to sit for a deposition and another said “lawlessness” was not from protesters. There have been high-profile incidents where DHS publicly makes accusations about an arrest, but then releases the individual without charges.
