When driving, you might be used to seeing traffic cameras like those atop lights and understand you are being watched. However, there is actually a hidden network of cameras across the United States that you may never know you have passed. This network is managed by the U.S. Border Patrol, though they have expanded beyond their traditional jurisdiction. These cameras are hidden inside traffic cones, meters for electrical posts, and more.
These cameras’ usage extends beyond just watching for suspicious activity. They are equipped with license plate readers, and they have built a database of each car’s specific travel routines. With the Border Patrol budget now increasing to billions of dollars, artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented to facilitate tracking vehicles and flagging for anything the system deems could be out of the ordinary. Known locations for these cameras include Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and even the Michigan-Indiana border.
There has been a great effort made to keep the locations of these cameras secret, even within the confines of the court system and official police reports. However, there have been mounting cases of people getting pulled over after being tracked by these cameras, and thus, there is rising backlash against what is being referred to as a tool for mass surveillance.
How these secret cameras result in getting pulled over
These hidden cameras will analyze your car’s movements and determine if there are suspicious or irregular patterns. Then, you can get pulled over, with a more mundane reason given, such as for speeding or for your window tinting. The officer who pulls you over might then run a records check and ask you about your activities and where you are headed. It is not so different from the way ICE is tracking your car.
This was the case for Alek Schott, who was on his way back from a business trip in the San Antonio area in March 2022. He was pulled over by local police who claimed he crossed the fog line while driving. Schott denied this and presented video evidence that he said supported his claim. After being asked about any criminal records, Schott was told to sit in the police vehicle. The officer then told him he was looking for border smuggling activity, and Schott explained he was on a business trip. A K-9 unit was called, and then Schott’s vehicle was searched, though nothing was found.
The written report of the incident claims Schott was pulled over for violating lane rules and claimed there was no vehicle search, though video evidence showed that to be false. Schott filed a lawsuit regarding what had happened since he felt he did nothing wrong to deserve being pulled over as a result of these secret traffic cameras.
Backlash against these secret cameras
The purpose behind this network of cameras by the Border Patrol is to catch criminal activity. However, as in the case of Alek Schott, there are others getting caught up in this system. Critics feel this is more mass surveillance than law enforcement, similar to the new AI that can track you in video footage.
American Civil Liberties Union analyst Jay Stanley stated, as recorded by ABC 7 News, “I think we should all agree that we shouldn’t let immigration become an excuse for the government to set up vast surveillance systems that watch everybody all the time.” One Reddit user reported that her daughter, who lives in Canada, and her daughter’s boyfriend, who lives in Washington state, often visit each other. One of these visits resulted in detainment by border agents due to how frequently they cross.
In February 2026, there was a class action lawsuit filed against the border patrol and associated agents regarding the treatment of everyday citizens in Maine. The lawsuit alleges that people standing outside while border patrol agents search or make arrests have had their faces scanned by cameras and threatened with being added to domestic terrorist watchlists. The suit even claims one agent threatened a woman, saying he would show up at her house later that night.
