Sue Roche, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, hailed the Governor's decision, saying in a written statement that it "ensures that Maine’s resources aren’t being diverted to further terrorize individuals and families, rip workers out of their jobs, destroy public trust, and create chaos and fear."
Read MoreMaine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said key questions remain unanswered after an oversight visit to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Scarborough on Monday. The visit comes amid renewed scrutiny of ICE actions under the Trump Administration.
Read MoreLisa Parisio, with the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, said many of those arrested posed no threat. "Many of the impacted Maine residents who have been in this situation were in lawful immigration processes, they had valid work permits and they had absolutely no criminal record.”
Read More“As a Portland Public Schools parent, I’m deeply concerned about the trauma that current federal policy inflicts on children, families and educators. There is no reason that this ICE arrest needed to happen in the Talbot School driveway. It did not make our communities safer. It makes them weaker, more divided and more afraid.”
Read MoreIn a written statement, the Portland-based Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project said its clients have been denied attorney access "multiple times" over the past several months.
Read More“While someone might desperately want and need the abuse to stop, the consequences of a partner being detained or deported and a family ripped apart can add additional harm and trauma to the situation,” Melissa Brennan, co-legal director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, said in an email, agreeing to speak only about broad concerns and not Rivera Martinez’s case.
Read MoreMore than 50,000 migrants are being held in detention nationwide as part of the Trump administrations mass deportation goals. And the numbers are projected to rise rapidly with the new funding boost for ICE. We examine what has been happening in Maine since January in terms of arrests, detentions, and deportations. Who is being targeted by law enforcement, how many in Maine are affected, and what legal questions are being raised?
Featuring Melissa Brennan, co-legal director of ILAP, as a panelist.
Read MoreICE has arrested about 100 people in Maine since Trump took office, according to statistics released by the Deportation Data Project that shine new light on the agency's operations. That's a roughly 50% increase in the average daily arrest rate, compared to 2024.
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