How police discretion has contributed to immigration arrests, and how that’ll change

The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project has heard this fear from clients firsthand.

“People are afraid to leave their homes. They are afraid to go to work. They’re afraid to be on the roadways. They are afraid to send their children to school,” Parisio said. “They’re afraid to call the police for help in any situation, whether that’s protection from domestic violence, coming forward about labor exploitation and trafficking, serving as witnesses in criminal cases.”

Press MentionsJolene McGowanDecember 18, 2025Enforcement, ICE, Detention, Maine Legislature

Attorneys blocked from routine ICE check-ins in Maine

The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project confirmed to Maine Morning Star that its clients have been denied the right to have their attorneys present at appointments at the field office over the past few months, including during check-in appointments for people who are in immigration court proceedings. Arrests at such proceedings have been reported elsewhere across the country.

Press MentionsJolene McGowanSeptember 22, 2025Enforcement, ICE, Detention, Maine Legislature

Maine’s largest jail faces mounting pressure to end contract with federal immigration authorities

The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Maine’s only statewide immigration legal services organization, has tracked 17 traffic stops since March 2025 where local and state authorities have handed over at least 35 Maine residents and workers to immigration officers based on their immigration status.

Press MentionsJolene McGowanJuly 22, 2025Enforcement, ICE, Detention, Maine Legislature

While ICE arrests in Maine double, governor delays deciding on limits for local police cooperation

The governor postponed her decision on a bill restricting local authorities from carrying out federal immigration enforcement until next year. Meanwhile, daily U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest rates have doubled in Maine since President Donald Trump took office, new data show.

Press MentionsContact@ ILAP MaineJuly 9, 2025Enforcement, ICE, Detention, Maine Legislature

My complicated love for the American flag

The first time I saw the American flag, I was nine years old. My family and I were at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, preparing to return to Afghanistan after years of fleeing the Taliban and living in exile.

Press MentionsContact@ ILAP MaineJuly 4, 2025Enforcement, ICE, Detention, Maine Legislature

ILAP Testimony in Support of LD 1971: An Act to Protect Workers in This State by Clarifying the Relationship of State & Local Law Enforcement Agencies with Federal Immigration Authorities

Policy Director Lisa Parisio testifies before the Judiciary Committee in support of a bill to enact guardrails protecting due process rights for immigrants and all community members.

Co-Legal Director Melissa Brennan describes the "needless, abject cruelty" in the case of Lewiston teenager Jose Adalberto Herrera

Co-Legal Director Melissa Brennan describes the "needless, abject cruelty" in the case of Lewiston teenager Jose Adalberto Herrera who has spent two months and counting at a detention center hundreds of miles away as a result of a traffic stop in Maine.

Press MentionsContact@ ILAP MaineMay 14, 2025Maine Legislature, Enforcement, Detention

The Golden Door: April 2025

Here is an update on recent state and federal activities impacting the lives of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Maine.

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