Illinois state officials are warning car rental companies that it is illegal for immigration agents to exchange license plates

Illinois state officials have given national car rental companies official notice that immigration enforcement agents using their cars are not allowed to replace the renter’s assigned license plates with other plates to hide the vehicles, and if they do, the car rental companies could be held liable.

According to documents obtained by NBC News via the Freedom of Information Act, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office sent letters to at least 19 national rental car headquarters stating that they had received public complaints from immigration agents who switched license plates on rental vehicles when Operation Midway Blitz, a large-scale government deportation operation, was active in the Chicago area.

Letters were sent to Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Ace and other car rental companies. They did not respond to requests for comment.

The office’s review of more than 600 public complaints alleging the practice has so far resulted in the revocation of one license plate, according to another letter obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. This revocation was for a license plate belonging to a 2026 Chevy Tahoe rented by immigration agents, according to a statement from the Illinois Secretary of State. The rental company targeted in the Nov. 10 letter, EAN Holdings LLC, the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and other brands, can request a hearing to appeal the decision. A company representative did not respond to a request for comment.

The Illinois Secretary of State sent the Department of Homeland Security a cease-and-desist letter in October, addressed to acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons, citing “multiple reports of federal ICE agents illegally altering license plates displayed on vehicles registered in the State of Illinois.”

“These violations carry penalties including fines and possible imprisonment, and the Secretary of State’s Office has the authority to suspend or revoke Illinois license plates that are misused in this manner,” the letter to Lyons said.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement in response to NBC News’ questions about the use of rental cars as part of immigration operations and the license plate swapping allegations.

“Our operators comply with federal law and, consistent with the Supremacy Clause, seek to comply with state law except where doing so would harm or interfere with federal mission and operations,” DHS said. “Federal DMV regulations take into account officer safety, public safety, and mission needs associated with federal investigative and law enforcement duties. Our agents risk their lives every day when apprehending the worst criminals on Chicago streets to protect the public and stop rampant crime. The Illinois Secretary of State has them to thank.”

Immigration officials have repeatedly said they are targeted by activists, who they say sometimes follow their cars and then verbally harass them, honking horns or honking to alert others as agents try to carry out deportation proceedings. DHS said immigration agents “They face a 1000% increase in assaultsThe agency did not provide statistics or details to support this finding.

At the same time, the letters raise questions about the extent to which federal agencies use rental cars to help carry out government immigration operations. The protests come amid public complaints that the widespread deportation operation ordered by President Donald Trump lacks transparency and is being carried out by masked agents, driving unmarked cars and possibly bearing disguised license plates.

The issue of using rental cars for deportation also came up in August, when Penske Truck Rental Issue a statement Saying that it did not allow their trucks to be used in the deportation operation in Los Angeles and that its cargo area was not intended for transporting people. at that time, The Department of Homeland Security said it carried out a “targeted raid.” This ultimately led to “the arrest of 16 illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua.”

This is the latest clash between state entities and the federal government as massive migration operations expand across the country. After Chicago, Border Patrol agents moved to North Carolina and are expected to then arrive in New Orleans.

The cease and desist letter comes after the launch “Monitor the board.” In Illinois, a hotline urges the public to report instances where law enforcement vehicles do not have valid license plates, including when plate IDs are partially hidden or missing entirely. When Illinois Secretary of State Alexei Giannoulias Fired He pointed to the efforts made in October Social media video Apparently an immigration officer is asking someone to take all the photos they want of a particular truck’s license plates because they change them every day anyway.

“We have made clear to federal agents and rental car companies that swapping or changing license plates to avoid detection is illegal. When our investigation revealed ICE agents swapping plates between vehicles, we immediately revoked the plate, making it illegal to drive a vehicle,” Giannoulias said in a statement to NBC News. “The message is simple: When it comes to public safety and protecting our communities, no one is above the law. I urge residents to continue reporting these incidents to the Plate Watch hotline.”

The Illinois Secretary of State’s letters required companies to warn all their customers that the practice of changing license plates on a vehicle is a violation of state law and indicated that companies would be held liable.

As immigration enforcement has ramped up in recent weeks, the Secretary of State’s office has received reports from anonymous callers alleging various violations: a different license plate on the front of the car than in the back, no license plates on the front or back, partially masked plates, or the same car with a different license plate from one day to the next, an aide to Giannoulias said.

“In consideration of the above notice, the Illinois Secretary of State requires your entity to notify your customers and prohibit them from swapping or changing license plates on Illinois-registered vehicles in violation of Illinois law,” the letters state.

As in the letter to Lyons, businesses were also warned that any violations would result in fines and potential jail time, as well as the suspension or revocation of Illinois license plates.