Maine moves to dismiss Trump administration lawsuit over refusal to provide undercover license plates to ICE
Maine asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration after the state refused to provide confidential license plates requested by federal immigration agents.
The state’s 21-page motion argues that the federal government cannot force Maine officials to use state resources to help ICE conceal its vehicles (via Law and Crime).
The U.S. Department of Justice sued Maine and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows in May after the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles denied requests from federal immigration agents for confidential license plates.
Bellows took a strong stance on the matter and previously noted (via PressHerald), “We are not issuing unmarked plates to federal agencies until we receive further assurances that Maine plates won’t be used for lawless purposes.”
“I have deep concerns that what is happening right now in our communities violates the Constitution and established law,” she added.
The DOJ, however, argues that Maine improperly singled out federal immigration agencies while allowing state agencies to continue obtaining the plates (via Law and Crime).
“Maine’s new restrictions on vehicle usage under its confidential plate program essentially barred federal agencies in DHS and DOJ from obtaining confidential plates, while permitting state agencies to continue to receive them. Such discrimination is illegal,” the federal lawsuit states.
Maine’s latest filing pushes back on that, invoking the constitutional principle of dual sovereignty and describing the lawsuit as a “heavy-handed” attempt to interfere with the state’s authority.
The state argues that vehicle registration falls within its traditional police powers and that the federal government cannot commandeer Maine’s system for its own enforcement purposes.
“Maine’s vehicle registration regime is a classic state police power, long recognized by the Supreme Court,” the motion states. It argues that the federal government is seeking to use that system to “camouflage its fleet of law enforcement vehicles.”
Maine also maintains that its policy does not prevent federal immigration agents from operating in the state. Federal vehicles can still travel on Maine roads and ICE agents can continue enforcing federal immigration laws.
But the state has chosen simply not to contribute its resources to conceal vehicles.
As the dispute unfolds, Donald Trump’s administration is facing renewed scrutiny over its immigration crackdown.
CBS News reported that ICE detained more than 46,000 people in July, making it the agency’s highest monthly detention total during Trump’s second administration.
Internal figures obtained by the outlet also showed that roughly 68,000 people were in ICE custody as of early August.