Drivers heading east on Interstate 8 or winding through the backcountry roads near Jacumba Hot Springs and Campo may be passing through a vast, largely hidden surveillance network — one that logs their license plates, the make and model of their vehicle, GPS coordinates, and even photographs of drivers and passengers.

Investigative reporting by CalMatters, published Saturday, revealed that as many as 40 automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have been installed by the federal Border Patrol and other agencies along remote roads in San Diego and Imperial counties. The devices were installed after California granted permits to federal agencies during the final months of the Biden administration. Now they feed data directly into Trump administration databases.

Locations include a stretch of Old Highway 80 near Jacumba Hot Springs, near the Golden Acorn Casino in Campo, and along Interstate 8 toward In-Ko-Pah Gorge — all well-traveled routes for East County residents, day-trippers, and casino-goers.

The revelation adds local urgency to an already heated legal battle. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the City of El Cajon in October 2025, alleging its police department repeatedly violated state law (SB 34) by sharing ALPR data with out-of-state and federal agencies. In January 2026, the AG filed a motion seeking a court order to force El Cajon to stop sharing the data. That case is still pending in San Diego County Superior Court.

Privacy advocates and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have called on Gov. Gavin Newsom and Caltrans to revoke the state permits that allow the federal readers to operate on California highways. Supporters of the program argue the cameras help identify suspects in drug trafficking and human smuggling cases. For East County residents who regularly drive these routes — whether heading to the casino, hiking in the backcountry, or commuting through the mountain passes — the surveillance is already underway.