Fact-Check Separates Rogers’ Surveillance Record From Flock Camera Adoption

Grand Rapids Kalamazoo Battle Creek, MI, October 19, 2026 —

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is criticizing Republican opponent Mike Rogers over Rogers’ past support for the Patriot Act, alleging that it is responsible for the widespread use of Flock license plate readers in the Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek region.

A fact-check of the claim confirms that Rogers supported surveillance legislation during his time in office. It also finds, however, that the company behind Flock cameras was founded after Rogers left office. The fact-check further concludes that multiple factors contributed to the technology’s adoption, rather than attributing its spread to Rogers’ record alone.

The distinction is central to assessing El-Sayed’s criticism: Rogers’ support for surveillance legislation is part of his public record, while the timing of Flock’s founding means he did not support that specific company before it existed, according to the fact-check’s account. The summary of the fact-check does not identify the organization that conducted it or provide details about the other factors it cited.

The available information also does not specify which particular Patriot Act provisions or other surveillance measures Rogers supported, when he backed them, or how widely Flock readers are used in the region. It gives no direct quotation from either candidate and does not state whether Rogers has responded to El-Sayed’s criticism.

The fact-check’s conclusion therefore draws a limit around the claim: it confirms Rogers’ support for surveillance legislation but does not establish that his actions caused the later adoption of Flock’s technology. It instead points to a broader set of contributing factors. Further details about those factors and the extent of local use were not provided.

Story summarized from the original created by Miles MacClure for Bridge Michigan on bridgemi.com, see more information here.

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