Giannoulias Urges Public To Report Illegal License Plate Tampering

CHICAGO — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is urging residents to report vehicles with altered, obscured, missing or unlawfully switched license plates as federal immigration enforcement activity increases in the state. The request follows social media video that appears to show an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle without a license plate and a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with support from the Secretary of State’s office and the City of Chicago, alleging federal officials violated Illinois law by swapping or altering license plates during immigration enforcement operations. Giannoulias said Illinois law prohibits license plate tampering and applies to everyone, including federal agents. State law allows fines, possible jail time and the suspension or revocation of a vehicle’s registration for unlawful license plate use.