Justice Department Demands Four States Issue Vehicle Registrations to ICE for Undercover Use

The Justice Department said Wednesday that officials in four Democrat-led states are refusing to issue vehicle registrations to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers working undercover. The department sent letters to the governors of Oregon and Massachusetts and the attorneys general in Washington and Maine demanding they revoke the policies.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate released the letters publicly and wrote on social media that the restrictions are dangerous, shameful and unconstitutional.

Vehicle registrations for undercover work allow agents to blend in with regular traffic while conducting operations with less visibility. Shumate said Oregon refuses to license any federal law enforcement vehicles. Maine will only grant a license after the federal agency proves the vehicle will not be used for immigration enforcement.

Washington issues registrations to some federal agencies but not those under Homeland Security. Massachusetts specifically targets ICE and offers civilian undercover registrations only if the agency proves the vehicles are for criminal investigations and not civil immigration enforcement. Treating federal agencies differently from state and local ones has created legal issues in the past.

A judge previously blocked a California law that barred federal immigration authorities from wearing masks while on duty, ruling that it violated the Constitution by discriminating against federal operations. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled that the states denying registrations would face similar legal action.

He wrote on social media that sanctuary policies obstructing ICE from performing its lawful mission to protect public safety are inexcusable. " — Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (The Washington Times) The Washington Times has contacted the four states for comment on the demands.

The registration restrictions form part of a broader pattern of resistance from some Democrat-led states to the current administration's immigration policies. The Justice Department's efforts to challenge such state policies have produced mixed court outcomes. One state's attempt to bar federal immigration authorities from wearing masks was blocked by a district judge.

A federal appeals court halted another state's requirement for ICE officers to wear identifying name tags or badge numbers. In New York, however, a federal judge upheld a policy that bars ICE from making immigration arrests inside state courthouses.

The judge in the New York case ruled that the state provides courthouse security and that ICE arrests there amounted to commandeering the state for federal purposes.