Oregon Faces Federal Lawsuit for Refusing to Issue Confidential License Plates to Federal Agents

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a lawsuit against Oregon for refusing to grant confidential license plates to federal agents.

Also in the department’s firing line are the states of Washington, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Each of these four states has refused to rescind its policies after receiving a letter from the department pointing out that their stance is illegal on constitutional grounds.

The U.S. Department of Justice Claims that Oregon’s Stance is Threatening the Safety of Federal Agents

The department states that refusing to grant confidential license plates to federal agents threatens their operational effectiveness and safety. Agents now face heightened tensions and harassment.

Calling the refusal unjustified, the department states that “criminals can track and evade law enforcement…disrupt critical intelligence and take down operations that result in the removal of drug smugglers, human traffickers, pedophiles, and other very violent criminals from our communities.”

The Four States are Pursuing Discriminatory and Obstructionist Policies

The department accuses the four states of pursuing ‘discriminatory and obstructionist policies’.

This is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the department’s Civil Division targeting ‘illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country.’

The lawsuit follows close on the heels of a controversial decision by Portland City councilors to ban the use of face masks and the lack of identification tags by immigration agents.

The vote was carried 8-4, despite opponents saying that local government ordinances cannot outweigh federal government rulings and are unconstitutional.