AUGUSTA, Maine — In Maine, Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Attorney General Janet Mills are at odds over the governor's directive to withhold aid to immigrants who can't prove they're living in the U.S. legally.
LePage says federal law prohibits the state from providing aid to those living in the country illegally. He has threatened to withhold state funds to a municipal welfare program if cities don't follow his guidance.
But Mills says the governor is overstepping his authority; she has advised cities and towns to ignore the governor's wishes.
The dispute has generated local confusion. Municipal officials worry that if they continue to provide aid as they have, they risk losing millions of dollars each year. But if they comply with the governor, they fear being sued by people denied aid.
