AUGUSTA, Maine — The state of Maine has filed a counterclaim in a lawsuit brought by the Maine Municipal Association and two Maine cities over the LePage administration's new policy limiting aid to some immigrants.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is defending the new policy prohibiting cities from providing general assistance benefits to immigrants who can't prove they're in the country legally.
It's also asking for injunctive relief requiring the cities to withhold the payments.
The municipalities say they're getting conflicting guidance from state officials, and that the lawsuit is necessary to clarify whether the new policy is legally binding. The DHHS counter-claim was filed Monday.