During the first week of the semester, ICE launched large-scale raids throughout the state of Maine; currently targeting cities with large immigrant populations, such as Biddeford, Portland, and Lewiston.
This comes after months of the Trump administration increasing ICE’s presence due to intensified searches for undocumented immigrants. According to the ACLU, ICE has taken over 170 American citizens into custody, and thirty-two people have died in ICE custody since President Trump took office. ICE raids have also increased in scale and ferocity, with ICE now doing house-to-house searches for undocumented immigrants in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago.
Throughout the summer, ICE slowly moved into Maine. Wells, a town about a half-hour south of UNE, partnered with ICE through ICE’s 287(g) agreement: an agreement that deputizes select state and local agencies to enforce federal immigration law. In addition to Wells, according to the Maine ACLU, Monmouth and Winthrop have also signed 287(g) agreements, and Franklin, Somerset, and Hancock County Sheriffs have cooperated with ICE agents.
ICE is operating operates out of a former office building in Scarborough and regularly sendings detainees to facilities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. According to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, detainees at the Scarborough facility have been prevented from accessing their Fifth Amendment right to legal counsel during routine checkups. In a News Center Maine article, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson responded by accusing Congresswoman Pingree of lying about the conditions in the ICE detention center for the purpose of fundraising.
After the murder of Renee Good in Minnesota, the mayors of Portland and Lewiston,—as well as Senator Angus King,—warned their communities about potential ICE activity. Governor Janet Mills also prepared the state for potential ICE activity, saying “If they plan to engage in provocative actions, if they plan to deprive people of civil rights — civil liberties on our streets and our cities and towns — they’re not welcome here,” during a January 14th press conference according to News Center Maine. Maine senator Susan Collins said she, “[didn’t] see the rationale for a large number of ICE agents to come in [to Maine],” according to a Huffington Post article.
As January 20th, the Boston Globe reported an increase in ICE agents in Biddeford and Lewiston, with the latter having the largest population of Somali immigrants in the state—a group ICE is also targeting in Minnesota.
On January 21st, ABC reported that the Department of Homeland Security launched an operation called “Catch of the Day,” targeting, according to DHS, the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” However, DHS also indicates through their website that operations in Maine are acting as a punishment for Maine, saying, “Governor Mills and her fellow sanctuary politicians in Maine have made it abundantly clear that they would rather stand with criminal illegal aliens than protect law-abiding American citizens.” Now This Impact challenged DHS’s assessment of Maine, pointing out that the state ranks 45th in immigrant population and 50th in violent crime rates. NBC Boston reported that Governor Mills responded to the raids by saying they were “only sowing intimidation and fear and fostering suspicion among neighbors.”
Portland reported a 5% decrease in school attendance since January 20th, with schools having to conduct lockouts in response to ICE threats.
At the same time as Governor Mills’ warnings, the Office of Safety and Security sent a campus-wide email to remind students of the four steps they should take if they are approached by ICE:
- Contact Safety and Security first (207-602-2298), then the Office of Legal Affairs (207-602-2924). If you cannot reach either, call the President’s Office at 207-602-2306.
- Find the most senior staff member available in your area to interact with the representative.
- If possible, ask the representative to wait in a conference room or private office until Safety and Security, Legal Affairs, and appropriate supervisors arrive.
- Do not answer questions, provide documents, or grant access to private spaces. Simply let them know you’re not authorized to do so and that the appropriate personnel are on their way.
Sarah Delage, associate vice president of communications, offered a comment on why the university sent the campus-wide email. “Given the ongoing rumors about increased federal immigration enforcement in Maine, the University wants to ensure our faculty, professional staff, and students understand the proper protocols should any federal agency representatives arrive on campus unannounced. This type of procedural guidance is part of the University’s ongoing commitment to protecting the rights and wellbeing of all community members while ensuring we meet our legal obligations.”
Delage clarified that the university has “no reason to believe that ICE agents will come to our campus” and that the email was “not issued in response to any specific threat or credible information suggesting enforcement activity at UNE.”
Mayor LaFountain clarified on January 15th, in an official statement on the city website that, “the City of Biddeford has not received confirmation that any federal immigration enforcement activity is planned within the city.” They updated their statement on January 24th, stating “federal agencies are not providing the Biddeford Police Department with any notice, operational details, or operation about where or whom enforcement details may involve,” and providing contact information for ACLU, the Immigration Legal Advocacy Project, and Maine Needs. Mayor LaFountain ended the statement by saying, “Check on your neighbors. Show up for one and other.”
