Maine’s governor demands data on immigration arrests as fear spreads amid enforcement surge

PORTLAND, Maine– Maine’s Democratic governor on Thursday asked federal immigration authorities to provide arrest warrants, real-time arrest numbers and basic information on people detained in a sweeping crackdown in her state, saying residents have been left largely in the dark as fear spreads in immigrant communities.

“If they have warrants, show them. In America, we don’t believe in undercover arrests or secret police,” Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference, adding that state officials did not know where the detainees were being held.

Mills said President Donald Trump’s office has not returned his phone calls about the operation launched this week. Federal officials said about 50 arrests were made in the first day and about 1,400 people were targets of the crackdown in this mostly rural state of 1.4 million people, 4 percent of whom were foreign-born and fewer here illegally.

The Maine operation comes as clashes continue between Minnesota protesters and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. ICE is under scrutiny in the state following an agent’s fatal shooting of Renee Good.

The enforcement actions have sparked concern in Maine’s largest cities, including Portland and Lewiston, which are home to large populations of immigrants and refugees, particularly from African countries. Community leaders say some families are staying indoors, avoiding work and keeping children at home for fear of arrest.

Mills said the lack of information made it difficult for state officials to assess the scope or justification of the operation.

“I would be curious to know more about their so-called target,” she said. “Why Maine? Why now? What were the orders from above? Who gives the orders? We have reached out, we have asked questions. We have no answers.”

Mills said she would be “shocked” if federal agents could substantiate allegations that so many people in Maine are facing criminal charges.

“Most of the time we hear from people who were not involved in criminal activity,” she said. “If anyone has evidence of criminal activity, we want to hear about it.”

Mills said school districts were “on alert,” particularly in Portland and Lewiston, and that some students were not attending classes. She also said businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor have reported disruptions.

“People are being ripped away from their families and their young children, people who are part of the workforce here in Maine — the workforce that we desperately need and desperately value,” Mills said.

This wave of enforcement has drawn sharp criticism from Maine Democrats, who say the operation is unnecessarily disruptive in a state with a relatively small undocumented population.

Portland Public Schools said earlier this week that two schools briefly went on “lockdown” to prevent anyone from entering during the school day due to concerns about nearby enforcement activity, although officials said no threats were ultimately found and the lockouts were lifted within minutes.

Mills emphasized that people are legally allowed to record law enforcement activities in public, as long as they do not interfere with officers.

The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for updated arrest numbers, warrant information or details of where detainees are being held.

DHS previously said the operation targeted what it described as “the worst of the worst illegal alien criminals,” citing arrests involving convictions for aggravated assault, false imprisonment and child endangerment.

Maine’s top federal prosecutor urged all protests to remain peaceful and warned that people who interfere with federal agents could be prosecuted. Mills said the state follows the law but questions the need for what she described as an authoritarian approach.

A small group of protesters gathered Thursday afternoon outside an ICE field office in Scarborough. Scarborough student Ava Gleason said she joined the protest to show her opposition to what she described as fear spreading through the community.

“Maine is one of those places where you take care of your neighbors,” Gleason said. “We are a community, and to see people come in and destroy it is terrifying. »

In downtown Portland, resident Dave Cowie held a cardboard sign reading “Due Process” in red and blue. He expressed concern about the scope of immigration controls and questioned whether new recruits received enough training.

“People are being taken off the streets and taken to undisclosed locations,” Cowie said. “We are told that we have to prove our citizenship: not everyone walks around with a passport in their pocket. »

Cowie cited a recently leaked internal ICE memo, obtained by The Associated Press, that allows agents, in certain circumstances, to force entry into homes without a warrant from a judge, instead relying on administrative warrants.

“These officers are not well trained in crowd control and they think they have rights that they don’t have,” Cowie said. “It goes against the Constitution.”

__

Willingham reported from Boston.