Home/ Southern Oregon — Flock ALPR, Interagency Intelligence Sharing, and ICE Backdoors
Research Note Researched

Southern Oregon — Flock ALPR, Interagency Intelligence Sharing, and ICE Backdoors

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The Core Finding

Public records obtained by Information for Public Use (313 pages from Medford, Grants Pass, and Jackson County) reveal that southern Oregon has a functional ICE intelligence infrastructure operating beneath the sanctuary law. It works not through formal 287(g) agreements but through ALPR data sharing, informal analyst networks, and property arrangements that give ICE persistent presence without formal local government cooperation.

The Flock ALPR Network

Automated License Plate Reader cameras operated by Flock Safety are deployed across southern Oregon law enforcement agencies:

AgencyALPR SystemICE Data Sharing Documented
Medford Police DepartmentVigilant, Axon Fleet 3, FlockYes — plate lookups for ICE/HSI
Central Point PoliceFlockUnknown
Klamath FallsFlockUnknown
Josephine County SheriffFlockUnknown (HSI MOU exists)
Jackson County SheriffFlockUnknown

Medford PD’s crime analysts performed Flock plate lookups for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents without warrants. Officers actively exchanged license plate data with HSI across state lines. MPD also requested license plate data gathered during border crossings from HSI — a two-way surveillance exchange.

This is significant because Flock data can reveal movement patterns, home locations, work schedules, and associates — exactly the intelligence ICE needs to plan arrest operations in a sanctuary state where local cooperation is prohibited.

National context: In February 2026, ICE’s use of the $7.5 billion Flock ALPR network sparked camera destruction from Oregon to Virginia. The ACLU of Oregon sued Eugene for secrecy about its Flock camera records. Woodburn, Oregon turned off its Flock cameras after immigrants rights organizations raised alarms. The city of Talent (Jackson County) paused its Flock cameras amid growing concerns.

The Southern Oregon Analyst Group

An informal intelligence-sharing network operating from 2021 to 2024, documented through email threads:

Members include crime analysts from:

  • Medford Police Department
  • Jackson County agencies
  • Josephine County agencies
  • Douglas County agencies
  • Klamath County agencies
  • Oregon State Police
  • Deschutes County
  • FBI
  • ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

The group shared surveillance techniques, license plate data, and investigative resources. In at least one documented 2021 incident, Medford officers conducted a license plate check for ICE following a casual request within the email group. MPD claimed this related to a non-immigration crime and stated their resource sharing complies with state and federal law.

The ACLU of Oregon’s legal director noted: “Casual sharing, without oversight, without questions about why one agency may need information from another” undermines state shield and sanctuary laws.

The ICE Property Backdoor

Jackson County owns the building at 3715 International Way, Medford — ICE’s field office covering 10 southern/central Oregon counties. The county leased it to William McCulloch of BM2W in a 25-year agreement (renewed 2019) at $0.28/sq ft annually. ICE subleases from BM2W. This arrangement gives ICE access to publicly owned property through a private intermediary, potentially circumventing the Sanctuary Promise Act’s restrictions on public bodies.

The Josephine County HSI MOU

A 2021 Memorandum of Understanding between HSI and Josephine County Sheriff’s Office allows designated officers to perform customs duties. While administrative immigration enforcement authority was not formally transferred, the MOU creates a formal cooperation channel that can blur the line between customs and immigration enforcement.

Social Media Monitoring

MPD operated a Facebook “sock puppet” account under the name “Jessica Taylor” starting in 2020, infiltrating the “Black Lives Matter Southern Oregon” group and participating in organizing events. Crime analysts discussed using fake accounts for community monitoring — surveillance infrastructure that could easily be redirected toward immigrant communities.

ICE’s Coverage Area from Medford

The Medford field office covers: Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Coos, Curry, Crook, Jefferson, Deschutes, Klamath, and Lake counties — essentially all of southern and central Oregon. Every enforcement action in these counties flows through Medford.

Why This Matters

This is the answer to the question: “How does ICE operate effectively in a sanctuary state with zero 287(g) agreements?” The answer is a layered infrastructure:

  1. ALPR surveillance provides target identification and tracking without local cooperation
  2. Informal analyst networks provide intelligence sharing outside official channels
  3. Property arrangements provide persistent physical presence
  4. Federal-to-federal coordination (DEA providing cover for ICE operations) bypasses state law entirely
  5. HSI MOUs create cooperation channels that technically aren’t “immigration enforcement”

Oregon’s sanctuary law prohibits local agencies from sharing information with immigration enforcement. But when ALPR data flows through an “analyst group” that includes ICE agents, the prohibition is functionally meaningless.

Sources

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Last updated: Apr 13, 2026