The Department of Justice is suing Maine and three other states over their refusal to issue undercover license plates to federal agencies involved in civil immigration enforcement.
In a written statement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the policies "undermine federal immigration enforcement" and "allow dangerous criminals to escape justice."
But Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said her department is still issuing plates to other federal law enforcement branches, just not to ICE.
"There are certain situations where federal agencies may need undercover plates for certain high stakes operations where there are criminal investigations. What ICE is doing is seizing people off the streets, and they're trying to conceal their identities in any way possible," Bellows said. "We've won before against Trump's Department of Justice, and we think we'll win again."
Bellows says she first paused the issuance of undercover plates in the leadup to the January ICE surge. The DOJ is also suing Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington over similar policies.
