Immigration Trump administration sues WA, 3 other states over undercover license plate denials

The Trump administration sued four Democratic-led states Wednesday over the states’ refusal to grant undercover license plates to federal agents, marking the latest escalation between state sanctuary policies and the federal government’s aggressive deportation campaign.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the lawsuits against Oregon, Washington, Maine and Massachusetts in a press release, framing the state’s decisions as unconstitutional and without merit. Federal attorneys seek to prevent the states from refusing to issue registrations and any license plates to federal agencies while providing them to similarly-situated state and local law enforcement, citing the U.S. constitution’s supremacy clause.

“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,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “These actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities.”

The lawsuits follow warnings from the Justice Department to each of the state’s top officials, including Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, this month. Oregon transportation officials had quietly halted the issuance of undercover license plates to federal agencies in mid-April, suggesting that providing them could open up the state to litigation alleging it is violating state sanctuary protections.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/05/28/repub/trump-administration-sues-wa-and-3-other-states-over-undercover-license-plate-denials/