ICYMI: Trump Sues Bellows for Denying ICE Undercover License Plates
Augusta – The Trump administration today filed a federal lawsuit against Maine over Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' decision to deny requests for undercover license plates fromImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Maine is one of four states sued — along with Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington.
Earlier this year, Secretary Bellows paused the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles' issuance of new undercover license plates to ICE in the leadup to the agency's January immigration surge.
See stories below:
NewsCenter Maine | Shenna Bellows joins NEWS CENTER Maine to talk DOJ lawsuit on license plates for ICE
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows defended the policy during a live interview with NEWS CENTER Maine on Thursday, saying the state still provides confidential plates to agencies conducting criminal investigations, including drug trafficking and human trafficking cases.
According to Bellows, 48 federal agencies received confidential plates for what she called legitimate law enforcement work. But she said Maine denied 11 requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March because the agency would not agree not to use the plates for civil immigration enforcement.
“Initially, when we paused all federal agencies, we took a hard look at the policy in general,” Bellows said. “We added a certification requirement that agencies certify they are not going to engage in civil immigration enforcement. The other federal agencies have been able to sign that. ICE has not.”
“What we saw with ICE here in our communities was targeting our friends and neighbors, seizing people off the streets for civil immigration violations,” she said. “And that’s why we said no. ICE does not get undercover license plates because there are no secret police here in Maine.”
Maine Morning Star | Trump administration sues Maine for denying immigration agents covert plates
President Donald Trump’s administration sued Maine on Wednesday for refusing to provide immigration authorities with covert license plates.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had received a request from federal authorities for undercover license plates a week before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s large-scale operation in the state began in January, and amid a major surge in Minnesota where federal agents shot and killed U.S citizens.
Citing the need for assurance that Maine plates wouldn’t be used for lawless purposes, Bellows denied the federal agents covert plates, a decision that’s up to her discretion under state law. However, this marked the first time Bellows, a Democrat who is also running for governor, suspended such plates during her tenure.
Maine Public Radio | Feds sue Maine for refusing to issue undercover license plates to ICE
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."
Bangor Daily News | Trump administration sues Maine and three other states for not issuing new undercover license plates to ICE
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows paused the issuing of new undercover license plates for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection ahead of the January ICE surge, saying at the time that the pause was necessary to ensure they weren’t used for “lawless purposes.”
The pause didn’t affect previously issued uncover plates.
But the Justice Department contends that Maine’s policy shift is unconstitutional, violating the U.S. Constitution’s clause supremacy and infringing upon the enforcement of federal laws.
WGME | DOJ sues Maine over decision to pause undercover license plate requests for ICE
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed lawsuits against Maine, Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts challenging their policies denying confidential license plates to federal agents.
Due to ICE operations in Maine, the office said it was in the best interest to not issue undercover plates.
“There are no secret police in democracy. The Department of Justice is now threatening to sue, and we’re saying, 'We’ll see you in court.'
