The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada is asking a judge to compel the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to turn over records detailing the agency’s communications with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging that the DMV has unlawfully withheld more than 100 documents.
In a motion filed in the First Judicial District Court, the ACLU requested that the DMV produce the remaining documents and allow live testimony from DMV officials on how the agency handled the records. The organization argues that the DMV violated the Nevada Public Records Act by refusing to provide documents it acknowledged were responsive to the ACLU’s requests, without offering any legal justification for withholding them.
According to a March 3 court filing, the DMV admitted to withholding 110 documents, turning over only seven. According to the ACLU, the DMV refused to identify 103 documents or explain why they withheld them.
The motion also seeks oral testimony from DMV officials, citing the agency’s conflicting statements in court filings and prior proceedings regarding its recordkeeping practices, including its use of the encrypted messaging app Signal.
This filing comes amid ongoing litigation over the DMV’s delayed, redacted, and withheld records related to its communications with ICE. During the case, DMV officials repeatedly denied cooperating with ICE and denied using Signal for communication in open court. However, new affidavits submitted after a February hearing confirmed the agency has communicated with ICE via Signal, according to the ACLU’s motion.
The court has not yet ruled on the motion.
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