ICE Detains Over 100 Individuals in Maine Immigration Operation
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested more than 100 individuals during a three-day immigration enforcement operation across Maine. The crackdown, which began earlier this week, has concentrated on the state's two largest urban centres, Portland and Lewiston, sparking significant community concern and political controversy.
Targeting of African Communities Sparks Alarm
Immigrant rights organisers report that ICE agents have been specifically targeting African nationals from countries including Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola. Many of those affected are asylum seekers who have established homes in the coastal state over recent decades. The Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition's local ICE sighting hotline received more than 1,100 calls on Wednesday alone, representing a 35% increase from the previous day.
Despite immigrants representing only about 4% of Maine's total population, with most having legal status to live and work in the United States according to Migration Policy Institute data, the operation has created widespread fear throughout affected communities.
Political Leaders Demand Transparency
Maine's Democratic governor, Janet Mills, held a press conference in Portland where she expressed frustration with the Trump administration's lack of communication regarding the operation. "We don't believe in secret arrests or secret police," Mills declared, adding that her office had received reports of people with no criminal record being detained.
The governor questioned the scale of the operation, noting that ICE officials had indicated they compiled a list of 1,400 individuals in Maine they intend to target. "I would be shocked if federal law enforcement located 1,400 individuals with criminal backgrounds," Mills stated, demanding greater transparency about warrants and operational details.
Community Impact and Personal Stories
The immigration crackdown has created tangible disruption across Maine communities. Mills described widespread fear in schools, workplaces, and businesses that are losing employees who have either been detained or are not showing up for work, despite many having legal immigration status.
One particularly disturbing incident involved 28-year-old Cristian Vaca, an Ecuadoran immigrant living in Biddeford with valid immigration status. Video footage shows federal agents outside his home, with one agent threatening through a screen door that they would "come back for your whole family" when Vaca refused to go outside. Vaca, who works as a roofer and has proper documentation including a work permit and social security number, told the Associated Press he has been in the country since September 2023.
Law Enforcement and Legal Response
Local authorities have expressed concern about the operation's scope. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce revealed that one of his corrections officer recruits, who had permission to work in Maine and had been properly vetted, was arrested by ICE agents on Wednesday evening. Joyce, who was among more than 100 national sheriffs who met with Trump's border czar Tom Homan last year, commented: "The book and the movie do not line up. We're being told one story, which is totally different than what's occurring."
The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Maine's only statewide immigration legal services organisation, reported receiving numerous fearful calls as the crackdown continues. Executive director Sue Roche stated: "It is clear the overall operation is anything but targeted. People are being racially profiled on the streets and in their cars. As is their playbook, ICE is doing everything they can to inflict maximum cruelty and chaos."
Specific cases highlighted by ILAP include:
- A pregnant woman too terrified to leave her home for medical appointments
- Reports of someone pulling a fire alarm in a building to save residents from ICE
- Teachers escorting immigrant children home from school being followed by agents
- Agents pushing their way into apartment building lobbies
Educational and Community Consequences
Democratic congressional candidate Jordan Wood, who is running to replace outgoing US representative Jared Golden, described the situation in Lewiston as having "hard to overstate the level of fear within the community." Wood, who was born and raised in the area, told the Guardian that as many as 20% of students at certain schools did not show up due to the immigration operation.
Despite the fear, Wood noted that community response has been encouraging, with neighbours ensuring immigrants know their rights and sharing information about where ICE agents have been spotted. "It's important to just know the community that they're coming after won't stand idly by while our neighbors are terrorized," Wood emphasised.
Ongoing Questions and Detention Concerns
Governor Mills continues to seek answers about why Maine has been targeted for this immigration operation. "Why Maine? Why now? What were the orders that came from above? Who's giving the orders?" she questioned, adding that state officials have reached out to the Trump administration but still "have no answers."
ILAP has noted that arrested individuals are being transferred out of Maine to detention facilities elsewhere in New England, as the state lacks a dedicated immigration detention facility. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment about where detainees are being held.
The operation continues to unfold across Maine, with immigrant communities remaining on high alert as ICE maintains its presence in Portland, Lewiston, and surrounding areas.
