Gov. Janet Mills and the mayors of Portland and Lewiston say they're bracing for a potential increase in immigration enforcement operations as soon as next week. Details remain scarce, and a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Wednesday the agency does not discuss future or potential operations.
Read MoreSue Roche with the Maine Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project said the law helps ensure that local police resources aren’t being used to carry out federal immigration enforcement.
Read More"We are really just thrilled about this," said Sue Roche, the executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.
Roche said this will ensure that Maine's resources are being used properly.
"It instructs Maine's law enforcement to focus on the important role of protecting public safety, and not to divert local resources to assist the federal administration in reaching its immigration enforcement quotas," she said.
Read MoreSue 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 MoreCongresswoman Chellie Pingree visited the facility on Monday, citing at least three complaints since the Trump administration began, in which individuals were prevented from having legal counsel during appointments. Pingree toured the facility alongside Melissa Brennan, a lawyer with Maine’s Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP).
"These check-ins, once considered routine, have become increasingly high-stakes under current immigration policies," said Brennan, who claimed one of her clients was forced to attend his appointment alone after she was denied entry.
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 MoreWhy Dozens of Local Police Agencies in New England are Patrolling the Northern Border.
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