Law enforcement across the U.S. are sifting through a Louisville Metro Police Department database of vehicles captured by the city’s growing fleet of license plate reader cameras.

The reason: Immigration enforcement.

The nationwide practice, first revealed by 404 Media, worries civil liberty advocates, congressional lawmakers and digital privacy experts who say the sprawling network of data creates a perverse dragnet that undermines the advertised intent of the controversial license plate reader cameras.

But the tactic is gaining traction as President Donald Trump pushes an aggressive, anti-immigrant agenda focused on deporting millions of people.

In Louisville, the practice could also violate local law.

LMPD started paying for license plate reader cameras made by a company called Flo

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