Elgin College pushes to remove Flock surveillance after immigration concerns

Elgin Community College contracted Flock Safety in April 2025 to install six automatic license-plate readers intended to help locate stolen vehicles and missing persons. After news emerged that similar cameras in Illinois had supplied data to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and an ICE detention occurred in a campus lot, the college saw a drop in enrollment, especially among its largely Latino student body. President Peggy Heinrich asked Flock to uninstall the devices as a precaution, but the company said the agreement was intact and did not respond to the request.

College staff tried to block the cameras with bags and zip ties, but workers in an unmarked vehicle repeatedly removed the coverings. The standoff persisted until the contract ended in April, after which Flock removed the cameras. Other Illinois campuses still host Flock cameras, prompting ongoing debate over privacy and immigrant student safety.