Massachusetts and three other states are being sued by the Department of Justice after refusing to issue confidential license plates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.According to a DOJ statement, the Trump administration is arguing that the state policies are unconstitutional and without justification. The lawsuits, which also targeted Maine, Washington and Oregon, were filed Wednesday. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their duties effectively. By denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement. These actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.The lawsuit follows a letter from Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate to Gov. Maura Healey’s administration earlier this month, which demanded changes to the state policy. The Healey administration responded with a letter from Chief Legal Counsel Jesse Boodoo on May 22. A statement issued on Thursday by the Healey administration reiterates many of the same points and suggests the federal government is the one acting unconstitutionally. “In Massachusetts, we support law enforcement doing legitimate criminal investigative work, and agencies doing that work can request confidential plates. But that’s not what we are seeing from ICE and its unconstitutional tactics,” Healey’s office said in a statement issued Thursday. “We are not going to use state resources to help ICE operate in secret, and without accountability, while refusing to provide basic information about who they are arresting and why. That makes our communities less safe, undermines public trust, and will not be allowed in this state.”Video below: Healey gives new guidance on ICERMV policyThe Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles currently only issues confidential/undercover registrations to Homeland Security Investigations after it certifies that the vehicles will only be used in criminal investigations. ICE agents are not allowed to have these plates.RMV policy states that confidential registration is not authorized for agencies that primarily engage in civil enforcement functions, which it says ICE falls under.Shumate previously called the policy “discriminatory” and “plainly unconstitutional.”Boodoo’s letter asserts that the RMV’s policy treats federal entities no differently than similar state entities and that the nonconfidential plates used by ICE are sufficient in protecting agents’ privacy.RMV policy states that the nonconfidential plates permit members of law enforcement, not the public, to view the RMV-registered owner of the vehicle. The state said the plates only list the agency the vehicles belong to and not a specific person.”We take the rights, responsibilities and restraints of the United States Constitution seriously,” the letter concludes. “I am confident that the RMV’s confidential registration program falls well within the State’s sovereign powers, abides by the intergovernmental immunity doctrine, and advances public safety.”Other confrontations over immigration policyAlso on Thursday, Healey’s administration issued new guidance for how schools, hospitals and places of worship should interact with ICE.And on Wednesday, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued letters requesting information about how Boston law enforcement interacts with ICE.
BOSTON —
Massachusetts and three other states are being sued by the Department of Justice after refusing to issue confidential license plates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
According to a DOJ statement, the Trump administration is arguing that the state policies are unconstitutional and without justification.
The lawsuits, which also targeted Maine, Washington and Oregon, were filed Wednesday.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their duties effectively. By denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement. These actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
The lawsuit follows a letter from Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate to Gov. Maura Healey’s administration earlier this month, which demanded changes to the state policy.
The Healey administration responded with a letter from Chief Legal Counsel Jesse Boodoo on May 22.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Healey administration reiterates many of the same points and suggests the federal government is the one acting unconstitutionally.
“In Massachusetts, we support law enforcement doing legitimate criminal investigative work, and agencies doing that work can request confidential plates. But that’s not what we are seeing from ICE and its unconstitutional tactics,” Healey’s office said in a statement issued Thursday. “We are not going to use state resources to help ICE operate in secret, and without accountability, while refusing to provide basic information about who they are arresting and why. That makes our communities less safe, undermines public trust, and will not be allowed in this state.”
Video below: Healey gives new guidance on ICE
RMV policy
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles currently only issues confidential/undercover registrations to Homeland Security Investigations after it certifies that the vehicles will only be used in criminal investigations. ICE agents are not allowed to have these plates.
RMV policy states that confidential registration is not authorized for agencies that primarily engage in civil enforcement functions, which it says ICE falls under.
Shumate previously called the policy “discriminatory” and “plainly unconstitutional.”
Boodoo’s letter asserts that the RMV’s policy treats federal entities no differently than similar state entities and that the nonconfidential plates used by ICE are sufficient in protecting agents’ privacy.
RMV policy states that the nonconfidential plates permit members of law enforcement, not the public, to view the RMV-registered owner of the vehicle. The state said the plates only list the agency the vehicles belong to and not a specific person.
“We take the rights, responsibilities and restraints of the United States Constitution seriously,” the letter concludes. “I am confident that the RMV’s confidential registration program falls well within the State’s sovereign powers, abides by the intergovernmental immunity doctrine, and advances public safety.”
Other confrontations over immigration policy
Also on Thursday, Healey’s administration issued new guidance for how schools, hospitals and places of worship should interact with ICE.
And on Wednesday, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued letters requesting information about how Boston law enforcement interacts with ICE.