Department of Justice Sues States Over Refusal to Issue Undercover License Plates for ICE
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against the states of Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Maine for their refusal to issue undercover license plates to federal law enforcement vehicles, including those used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The DOJ argues that these states' policies are discriminatory and violate the supremacy clause's intergovernmental immunity doctrine. The states have been accused of obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts by denying these plates, which are deemed necessary for the safety and operational effectiveness of federal agents. The lawsuits seek to have the states' policies declared unconstitutional and to compel them to issue the plates. Massachusetts, for instance, has stopped issuing untraceable plates to all federal agencies, while Maine requires federal applicants to attest that their vehicles will not be used for civil immigration enforcement unless it supports a criminal investigation. 
