Maine officials brace for ICE operations

By Chris Wade
The Center Square

Maine leaders are bracing for a possible influx of ICE agents into the state’s two largest cities as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills released a video Wednesday night saying she has “tried unsuccessfully” to confirm whether any operations in Portland and Lewiston are planned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but said she is coordinating with local governments and state and local law enforcement to prepare for possible immigration raids.

“If they come here, I want any federal agents – and the President of the United States – to know what this state stands for,” Mills said. “We stand for the rule of law. We oppose violence. We stand for peaceful protest. We stand for compassion, for integrity and justice.”

Mills also urged Mainers considering protesting to do so peacefully, with President Donald Trump considering invoking the federal Insurrection Act to crackdown on anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where clashes between police and residents over the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good are becoming increasingly violent.

“For those of you who may consider protesting, I fully support your right to do so, and I urge you to do so peacefully – to meet any hostility with reserve and resolve,” Mills said. “Know this: Maine will not be intimidated, and we will not betray the values that make us who we are.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline issued a separate statement saying he expects ICE enforcement operations in his city “soon” and urged residents and businesses “to know their rights and have a plan of action if ICE stops them in the street, visits their home, or visits their business.”

“I understand that this is an unsettling time for many of our residents,” Sheline, a Democrat, said. “Lewiston is a strong city and we care about our community and each other. Please check on your neighbors and stay safe.”

Portland Mayor Mark Dion, a Democrat, said his city is “anxious and fearful” about the possibility that the Trump administration will send ICE agents to his city. He warned against a heavy-handed paramilitary operation.

“There is no evidence of unchecked criminal activity in our community requiring a disproportionate presence of federal agents,” Dion said in a statement. “While we respect the law, we challenge the need for a paramilitary approach to the enforcement of federal statutes. The consequence of law enforcement should not be chaos and violence, which only results in making Portland less safe.”

None of the statements provided details about the pending ICE operations, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

ICE has ramped up its enforcement actions in Minnesota in response to a growing scandal over alleged Medicaid fraud in that state tied to some in the Somali community. Federal officials also recently raided a Maine nonprofit founded by a Somali-American as part of a potential fraud investigation.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, but said he shares MIll’s concern about recent “rumors of imminent federal law enforcement activities” in the state and urged Mainers to report any “lawlessness done cloaked in the cause of federal law enforcement” by reporting misconduct.

“Given the videos and headlines we have seen from operations conducted in other states – many of them reckless, heartless, and irreversibly destructive – I share the same worries many of you have,” King said.