Immigration rights activists from Pasos, supported by the San Jose/Sacred Heart chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice, visited the Livermore, CA headquarters of license plate reader manufacturer Vigilant Solutions on the afternoon of Friday, March 11.
After a rally, activists attempted to deliver a letter to Vigilant asking them to void their January 2018 contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Vigilant employees would not answer the doorbell, so the letter was taped to the front door. Oakland Privacy and the DeportICE coalition sent a rep to the Vigilant delegation.
San Francisco Chronicle coverage of the delegation.
NBC Bay Area coverage of the delegation.
From the letter which was drafted by immigrant community members and co-signed by five organizations: “License Plate Recognition technology is specifically aimed at identifying ‘criminals and terrorists.’ Your company’s commitment to providing ICE with this technology means that you are declaring, along with ICE, that all immigrants must be treated, persecuted and punished as people who are considered dangerous to our community. We are asking Vigilant Solutions to not be complicit with the injustice that is being committed against the immigrant community and to break its agreement with ICE.”
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On May 15, Richmond, California may become the first city in the United States to formally cease doing business with all companies that sell data to ICE.