Insurrection?
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Maine Secretary of State refuses to issue new federal license plates amid ICE activity concerns
According to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, the BMV recently received a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection [and the U.S. Marshall’s Service] for undercover Maine plates. That request comes as rumors swirl about possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Maine and amid concerns about federal law enforcement activity in other states.
Bellows says the state has not revoked any plates already in use but has paused new ones until officials can be assured Maine plates won’t be used for what she calls “lawless purposes.”
Read Bellows full statement below:
“The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles received a request for confidential, undercover Maine license plates from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These requests in light of rumors of ICE deployment to Maine and abuses of power in Minnesota and elsewhere raise concerns. We have not revoked existing plates but have paused issuance of new plates. We want to be assured that Maine plates will not be used for lawless purposes.”
Enforcement of federal immigration laws is not laless: interference with the execution of those laws is. Bellows is the same person who tried unsuccessfully to keep Donald Trump off the Republican primary ballot, sued to stop the turnover of voter registration data to the DOJ, and this week order all employees to immediately report any signs of ICE presence or activities around state offices, including DMV sites.
An ambitious darling of the left, s announced her candidacy for Governor last summer.
Ryan Guay, a supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal for the U.S. Marshals Service District of Maine, said he went Friday to register the agency’s fleet of vehicles via email with the secretary of state’s office and was told the state is not offering “covert status” for federal agencies.
In the past, Guay said the Marshals Service has been able to obtain undercover plates in order to carry out law enforcement operations. The marshals service is a federal agency that supports the judicial branch, including by executing federal court orders, providing security for the judiciary, managing federal prisoners and apprehending criminals.
Guay said he was surprised to learn of the change and was not told it is temporary. He said he was not given a specific reason for the change and said it poses a safety risk for the marshals service.
“This is a drastic change from historical precedent that gives us great concern,” he said. “We often do sensitive investigations or deal with protected persons, and we don’t want to advertise that they’re affiliated with us.”
Guay said Saturday that he was trying to figure out next steps for his agency.
“I’m engaged with our national office and offices around the country to kind of figure out what to do, as this is not a common occurrence at all,” he said.