A college told Flock to remove its cameras. The company refused
Elgin Community College is attempting to remove Flock Safety surveillance cameras from its campus due to privacy concerns and the potential for data sharing with immigration authorities. The move follows reports of federal agencies accessing license plate data, which has caused fear among the student population.
Why it matters
This case highlights the growing tension between campus security measures and the privacy rights of students, particularly in the context of immigration enforcement.
When Elgin Community College hired Flock Safety to install six surveillance cameras in April 2025, President Peggy Heinrich thought they would “enhance the safety and security of students.”
The company’s automatic license plate readers use artificial intelligence to track the registration, model and details like dents and bumper stickers of every passing vehicle. They were supposed to help locate stolen cars and missing people.
But Heinrich started to wonder if the cameras were actually making students less safe after seeing news reports that data captured by Flock cameras in Illinois had been shared with U.S. Customs and Border Protection . Then in September 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained an Elgin Community College student in a campus parking lot.
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