The Golden Door: April 2025
Building a Maine that is Home for ALL
ILAP believes that everyone deserves to feel safe, be with family, and build the life they want here in Maine. In the face of unrelenting attacks on immigrants and so many other communities, we say clearly and with conviction: Maine is a home for ALL!
Take Action!
We invite you to go to one of your favorite places in Maine - anywhere from an iconic site to your own backyard - to share a message of welcome and solidarity and declare that Maine is Home for All. This campaign kicks off now and will be ongoing! As you enjoy Maine this summer and beyond, help us spread this message across the state.
HERE'S HOW:
1. Print a poster, color one in, or make your own with the phrase “Maine, Home for All.” Posters are available for download below.
2. Take a photo of your poster somewhere in Maine – it can be a recognizable landmark or your own backyard! You can choose to be in the photo or not.
3. Share on social media and tag @ilapmaine using the hashtag #MaineHomeforAll. You can also email your photo to contact@ilapmaine.org. We look forward to seeing and sharing your photos!
Optional: Social media is also a great tool for targeted advocacy! You can tag elected officials or others in your post to let them know you believe Maine should be a home for all.
This campaign was partially inspired by periodic social media posts by U.S. Border Patrol in Maine picturing enforcement vehicles in front of beloved Maine landmarks. We’re reclaiming that imagery with a different message - one of welcome, belonging, and home.
390 Waldo County Residents Stand with Neighbors Who Were Ripped from Their Community
ILAP applauds the nearly 400 people who published a letter in the Bangor Daily News calling on their local law enforcement not to voluntarily assist immigration officials when not required to by law.
"We are residents of Waldo County who have been moved to act by a recent incident in which two people were turned over to the Border Patrol following a traffic stop in our county," Don Hoenig, Jay Davis and Trudy Miller wrote on behalf of other residents. "Our concern is based on the clear knowledge that due process applies to everyone in the U.S...[I]t is often said that 'if due process does not apply to everyone then it applies to no one.'"
The residents flagged an important bill being considered by the Maine state legislature that would prohibit state and local law enforcement from entering into 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Together in Community: ILAP's Spring Gathering
Thank you to everyone who joined us this week for ILAP's Spring Gathering at Mechanics' Hall! As we navigate challenging times, this event was an opportunity to come together, to strengthen the relationships that sustain us, and to stand alongside one another in support of justice for all.
The evening was a recognition that none of us carries this work alone; it is through our shared efforts, our shared dreams, and our shared commitment that change is possible. We were especially honored to uplift and appreciate our volunteers, whose dedication and generosity power our work.
To those who wanted to come but were unable to register due to space constraints - thank you. Please know that you are part of this community, and we are already dreaming of future opportunities to gather, connect, and grow this movement of care and justice!
We will be sharing more photos from the event on social media soon!
Immigration Law & Policy Updates
ILAP is committed to helping our community make sense of immigration news and its impact. As you may have read last week, our team set out to provide weekly updates to our community through the first 100 days of the Trump administration. We’ve stretched ourselves to accomplish that goal and are grateful for the outpouring of support and action we’ve seen. Going forward, we will be providing updates twice a month and sharing urgent, stand-alone action alerts in between.
Below is a summary of some key developments from the past week, as of May 1, 2025.
PLEASE NOTE: All updates are subject to rapid change.
Immigration Announcement:
Wisconsin judge arrested by FBI following attempted ICE enforcement at courthouse
What It Means:
Under previous administrations, including the first Trump administration, certain locations were protected from immigration enforcement given the big picture harms to society if people are too afraid to go to these places.
An early action of the current Trump administration was to lift some of the prohibitions on enforcement happening at courthouses, which threatens access to due process and chills people from attending court.
Last week in Wisconsin, ICE attempted to arrest someone while they were in the courtroom. Reporting shows that when the judge was informed, she reviewed the documents the immigration officers presented and saw they did not have a valid warrant for the arrest and asked them to leave.
Reports show the judge then escorted the defendant and his attorney from the court room, which later resulted in her arrest under charges of obstruction and concealing and individual from arrest.
In response to courthouse ICE arrests in Colorado, the ACLU of Colorado issued a letter to ICE detailing the harms of conducting enforcement at courthouses: “These ICE enforcement actions on people who are going to or from court are a direct threat to the rule of law and the functioning of the judicial system ... They do nothing for public safety, inflict terror on our immigrant communities, and deter victims, witnesses, defendants, litigants, and the general public from accessing Colorado’s judicial system.”
ICE mission to deport children who entered the U.S. unaccompanied ramping up
Advocates are sounding the alarm that ICE is conducting enforcement against immigrant children who entered the U.S. unaccompanied under the guise of “welfare checks.”
Unaccompanied children frequently arrive in the U.S. for the purpose of reuniting with family and finding safety and security from dangerous conditions in home countries. Children and sponsors undergo a rigorous vetting process once in the U.S.
Targeting minors who entered the country unaccompanied and may have reunited with family and found safety in this country is yet another example of the depths of the administration’s cruelty. Their mass deportation agenda is not based on public safety, but on broad anti-immigrant sentiment.
President Trump signs Executive Order aimed at securing resources from local law enforcement to carry out mass deportation agenda
In order for the administration to meet its goal of deporting a least one million people a year, it must get local law enforcement to voluntarily hand over their resources to assist.
In a new Executive Order, the administration plans to direct legal resources to local law enforcement to provide them legal representation when they “incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law.”
It is well documented that when local law enforcement dedicate resources to assist federal immigration officers, there are spikes in racial profiling and other constitutional and statutory violations.
The Executive Order also seeks to intimidate and threaten state and local government officials from taking steps to protect communities and state and local economies from the known harms of needless immigration enforcement activities.
For previous updates from ILAP, check out the links below:
Community Update: April 25, 2025
Community Update: April 17, 2025
Community Update: April 11, 2025
ILAP in the News
ILAP's Executive Director speaking with WGME following the wrongful removal of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador.
The Wells Police Department became the first in Maine to sign a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In the Maine Morning Star, Executive Director Sue Roche explained why such agreements harm immigrant communities and hurt the rights and public safety of all residents. The Portsmouth Herald highlighted opposition to partnering with ICE from residents and immigrant rights organizations.
Wells resident David Agan published an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald urging people to speak out against the cruel deportations of immigrants.
In an interview with WGME, Executive Director Sue Roche spoke about the Trump administration's blatant disregard for the law and due process, including in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.
As the number of immigrants being arrested and detained rises in Maine, the Maine Morning Star highlighted how ILAP is working in collaboration with Maine Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic and the ACLU of Maine to provide direct legal support to people in immigration detention.
ILAP and our partner organizations held a press conference on Access to Justice Day to urge lawmakers to sustain critical funding for civil legal aid in Maine - before it expires this summer. The effort to pass this emergency legislation (LD 1022) was covered by the Portland Press Herald, Maine Public, and News Center Maine.
Community Event Highlight: Access to Justice Award Ceremony
Tickets are now on sale for the 28th annual Muskie Access to Justice Award Ceremony, honoring Arnie Macdonald! Arnie is an ILAP Board member and long-time Pro Bono Panel attorney who is being recognized for his work helping more than 40 clients win asylum, among other accomplishments.
The event directly supports six organizations providing legal services in Maine, including ILAP. We hope you can join us to celebrate Arnie and applaud the resilience and hard work of Maine's civil legal aid community!
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 4th
5:00 - 7:00pm
WHERE:
Ocean Gateway
14 Ocean Gateway Pier in Portland
TICKETS:
Tickets are $50 or $200 to join the Host Committee. The Muskie Fund for Legal Services is committed to having an event accessible to everyone. If cost is a barrier for you, please contact Misty Vigue at mvigue@ptla.org.
LEARN MORE:
www.muskiefund.org/award-ceremony
