Three protesters hold “ICE Out” signs on the steps of the Agora Grand Event Center in Lewiston during a protest Saturday. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)
Maine’s surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action is entering its second week against the backdrop of another fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Federal officials have said they have arrested more than 200 people in Maine and are only targeting criminals, but officials and community members say many of those detained by ICE are either citizens, in the country legally or have no criminal records.
Over the weekend, crowds of anti-ICE protesters gathered in Portland — first in Monument Square, then outside a hotel they believed agents were staying at — and in Lewiston, calling for ICE to leave the state. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills echoed those calls, calling ICE agents “untrained and reckless” and saying they are “stoking fear in communities.”
Read our updates from Sunday here.
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6:30 p.m.: Jonathan Bush condemns shooting of VA nurse
Maine gubernational candidate Jonathan Bush called the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota “inexcusable” and that the narrative echoed by some that the Department of Veterans Affairs nurse was dangerous “is shameful.”
“Republicans and Democrats both know something terrible went wrong, and both of us should be seeking justice together,” Bush said in a video statement on social media Monday.
Bush also called for fellow Republican candidates to condemn “this horrible killing.”
“It’s the job of governors and other senior leaders to take heat out of difficult situations, not add it,” he said.
— Drew Johnson
6: 15 p.m.: Maine lawyers file dozens of requests for immigration bond hearings, as DOJ appears to disregard class-action ruling
Attorneys for people recently detained by ICE in Maine have filed dozens of “habeas” petitions in federal courts across New England, asking judges to order that the Department of Justice hold bond hearings for their clients.
That’s despite the fact that U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris declared in December that certain immigrants are entitled to a bond hearing while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, who were involved in the class action lawsuit that led to Saris’ ruling, said immigration court judges nationally have been instructed to disregard a similar declaration from a U.S. District Court Judge in California.
“We have seen a number of immigration judges who are disregarding the declaration in our case and denying bond, basically following the same practice that they had followed before our case,” attorney Carol Garvan said.
Immigration judges are part of an administrative court, run by the DOJ, which has appealed both orders from Saris and the U.S. District Court judge in California.
Garvan said that she had hoped last year that Saris’ ruling would lead to an automatic process in which immigrants detained by ICE in New England would automatically receive bond hearings, so long as they don’t have criminal histories and have been present for some time in the United States.
For now, Garvan said Mainers in ICE custody should continue to find a lawyer as quickly as they can to file a habeas petition on their behalf, which allows a U.S. District Court judge to rule on the constitutionality of their detention and order that the government provide bond hearings.
The ACLU of Maine lists resources on its website for finding attorneys. The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project recently shared a form for people to fill out for legal help.
But Garvan acknowledged that the process makes things harder for many detainees, and that an influx in habeas petitions could potentially back up the federal courts.
“I think it’s absolutely an added barrier,” Garvan said. “Many people don’t have access to a lawyer, they may not be able to access the courts, so it is a huge barrier.”
— Emily Allen
3:50 p.m.: Graham Platner hits Janet Mills for delaying action on anti-ICE bill
U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is criticizing Gov. Janet Mills for delaying action on a bill limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The criticism comes as federal agents have descended on Maine as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. More than 200 people have been arrested in the operation that began Tuesday.
“LD 1971 was passed by the legislature in June, and then it sat unimplemented until the Governor so graciously allowed it to go into law a few weeks ago,” Platner said in a written statement. “It does us no help currently. It won’t even be able to actually be enforced for several more months.”
The law prohibits state, county and local law enforcement officers from investigating, detaining, arresting or searching a person solely for immigration enforcement purposes.
Officers are still free to work with federal agents on criminal investigations and task forces, as long as the primary purpose is not immigration enforcement.
The bill was passed by lawmakers in June, but Mills did not sign it, saying it was “vague and confusing.” She later allowed the bill to become law without her signature in January.
The bill will not take effect until July – roughly 90 days after the legislature adjourns for the year.
But Maine State Police say they are in the process of implementing the new policy, saying it has little impact on their work.
Some municipalities, including Portland, already have municipal policies against working with federal immigration authorities.
Platner and Mills are the leading candidates in the Democratic primary to run against five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins.
Maine officials, including the state’s Congressional delegation, have said the administration has not provided them with basic information about the enforcement surge.
Read our story about the bill here.
— Randy Billings
3:10 p.m.: Asylum-seeker taken by ICE had no criminal history in Maine, attorney says
Francoise Makuiza was arrested by ICE early Friday morning, as she was leaving her neighborhood to go to work at an assisted living facility in Portland, her lawyer said.
Attorney Kristine Hanly filed a petition in U.S. District Court in Maine on the same day that Makuiza was taken, to ensure that she receives due process and a bond hearing in immigration court.
ICE has yet to respond to the petition but Hanly said that a background check revealed her client has no criminal history in Maine.
“She applied like she’s supposed to, and followed the steps like she’s supposed to,” Hanly said. “She’s just been living with her family, working.”
Makuiza has lived in Maine for more than 12 years and is the mother of a U.S. citizen, Hanly said. She was previously granted refugee status by the country of Colombia after fleeing genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Makuiza and her family had to leave Colombia after one of her children was threatened and they were subjected to “horrific assaults,” Hanly said.
Makuiza arrived to the United States on a visa, Hanly said, and has been waiting for a final determination on her asylum request since participating in an interview with immigration officials last summer.
Hanly said Makuiza’s case and others contradict messaging from the Department of Homeland Security that only the “worst of the worst” are being apprehended.
“This is a mom who’s already been subjected to assaults and life-threatening conduct in two different countries now, and came here to make a life for her family,” Hanly said.
A GoFundMe for Makuiza had already raised more than $600 by Monday to support her family.
— Emily Allen
3 p.m.: Wife of detained man says he was moved despite habeas petition and judge’s order
A man detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Portland last week has been moved, even after an attorney filed a petition challenging his detention and a judge ordered that he must be kept in Massachusetts, according to his wife.
Marcos Da Silva (Courtesy photo)
Marcos Da Silva was arrested by ICE after agents pulled over his truck beneath an Interstate 295 overpass Portland last Tuesday, in a moment caught on video. Originally from Brazil, he entered the country seeking asylum and has been in the process of trying to obtain legal status through a green card since 2024, according to his wife, a U.S. citizen.
As of last Wednesday, he was being held in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Early Friday morning, Da Silva’s lawyer filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, and U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ordered the same day that Da Silva “not be moved outside the District of Massachusetts without first providing advance notice of the intended move.”
No notice of intention to move Da Silva appears in the court docket.
His wife, Alex, said Monday that she had not heard from him since Saturday, when he told her over the phone that he was in Louisiana, although he did not know the name of the facility. The online ICE detainee locator system, which previously listed Da Silva as being in Plymouth, now says “Call ICE for Details” in place of a current location. The person who responded at that phone number Monday afternoon said he is likely in transit.
His attorney did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Read the full story here.
— Riley Board and Dylan Tusinski
2:50 p.m.: ICE arrested Angolan man going home after visiting newborn in the hospital, pastor says
An Angolan asylum-seeker and father of four was taken by ICE Friday evening after visiting his newborn child at the hospital, his pastor said.
Senior Minister Scott Cousineau from First Parish Saco Church said he was “shocked” by the arrest of a long-time parishioner, whom he identified only by his first name, Makengo. Cousineau declined to share Makengo’s last name without the family’s permission.
“She’s afraid to go out of the house, because what if something happens to her?” Cousineau said of his wife. “Then what happens to the children?”
Makengo has been a member of First Parish for more than eight years, Counsineau said, joining almost immediately after he arrived in the U.S. Cousineau said that Makengo is one of the church’s greeters, welcoming members of the congregation before services. Makengo’s young daughter played Mary in the church’s Christmas play last year.
Counsineau said that he believes Makengo did everything he was supposed to for his asylum case.
“He’s not among the worst of the worst, he’s really among the best of the best,” Cousineau said.
The Sunday after Makengo was taken, Cousineau said, First Parish members were distraught. People immediately mobilized to coordinate getting groceries to his family so they wouldn’t have to leave their home.
Friends had already raised more than $17,000 to help with legal fees and Makengo’s family’s needs on GoFundMe.
“I think everyone has been so paralyzed by what’s happening around the world, and frustrated by not having the ability to do anything about it, and then when something happens in their town, there’s finally something they can do,” Cousineau said.
— Emily Allen
2:45 p.m.: Federal immigration officers fist bump after arresting person in Westbrook
On Friday afternoon, federal immigration officers were seen fist bumping each other after arresting a person in the parking lot of NAPA Auto Parts in Westbrook, according to a video shared by a woman who recorded the interaction.
The woman, who asked not to be identified out of fear for her safety, was driving to pick up her daughter when she saw eight officers in tactical vests with the words “POLICE” and “DHS” on them handcuff and push a person into the back of one of their cars, she said.
She turned around and pulled into the parking lot to record them. Most of the officers put on masks when she began recording.
One officer filmed as they put the person in the back of their car.
“When the government posts what he did, it would be nice for you to interview the family that was hurt by him,” another agent told the woman.
— Salomé Cloteaux
2:40 p.m.: Portland firm offers advice on preparing for possible detention by immigration officials
A Portland law firm that specializes in immigration cases has created a tip sheet to help people prepare for possible detention.
Jenny Beverly, managing attorney at Haven Immigration Law, said having a clear plan in place can prevent delays in challenging that detention in court or taking other legal action.
“We hope that detention never happens to you, but let’s get these documents prepared so if it does, we can try to get you out as quickly as possible,” she said.
Beverly recommends designating a point person who can be a contact for lawyers. Set a regular schedule for check-ins so they know as soon as possible if you go missing.
“The hardest thing that I’ve seen is the almost ‘disappearing’ of the client,” Beverly said. “When someone is picked up while running an errand or getting a sandwich or going to school, if no one is with them, then we don’t know.”
The point person should know how to access key documents for a lawyer, such as immigration case documents, proof of residence, proof of employment, tax documents and contact information for people who can speak to your good moral character. Make a list of required medications and a plan for your children if you are detained.
“The problem is that ICE has machinery that can move (people) very quickly out of our jurisdiction,” Beverly said. “If there’s a significant delay or some delay where we are unable to get the information we need to file for these people, it could be they move very quickly very far away, and legal representation becomes even harder.”
The full list is on the Haven Immigration Law Facebook page in English and Spanish, and Beverly said she will soon be posting translations in other languages as well.
“Be prepared,” the flyer says. “Stay safe.”
— Megan Gray
2:30 p.m.: Homeland Security says it has arrested 200 people in Maine so far
ICE has apprehended more than 200 people in Maine so far, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Monday afternoon that some of these arrests include people accused of crimes ranging from aggravated assault to operating under the influence of alcohol.
The statement highlighted four people who they say were arrested last week. But the agency would not provide information about who else was arrested in the five days since ICE’s operation began in Maine.
Read the full story here.
— Morgan Womack
1:50 p.m.: Hotel chain says it will follow the law if ICE agents request a guest list
Giri Hotel Management, a company in Quincy, Massachusetts, that operates many hotels in Maine, says its staff will follow the law if ICE agents enter one of their properties and ask for a guest list.
“Our current policy is to only share guest lists if we are issued a valid court order or subpoena,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Guest and employee safety is our top priority.”
The Press Herald reached out to Giri after it received information last week that the company had authorized its staff to release guest lists to ICE upon request.
Giri’s portfolio includes a wide array of well known chain and independent luxury hotels in Maine, including the Fairfield Inn and Hilton Garden Inn near the Portland International Jetport, the Holiday Inn in Bangor and the Best Western Plus in Brunswick.
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that a Los Angeles city ordinance was unconstitutional in requiring hotel operators show a list of registered guests to police on demand without a warrant or subpoena.
The 5-4 decision held that the law violated Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches because it didn’t give hotel managers an opportunity to check if a police search was legal. The majority noted that police still would be authorized to inspect or seize a guest registry without a subpoena or search warrant amid exigent or emergency circumstances.
The decision didn’t disrupt the government’s right to require hotels to keep guest registries or for licensing agencies to inspect those lists, which are required in many communities.
Under Maine law, lodging operators must maintain guest registries going back two years and make them available for inspection by state health and municipal licensing officials “at all reasonable times.”
— Kelley Bouchard
1:05 p.m.: Maine lawmakers consider bill to protect schools, libraries and other spaces from ICE
Maine lawmakers on Thursday will hold a public hearing on a bill that would bar federal officials from going into non-public areas of schools, hospitals and other public facilities and accessing certain nonpublic records without a warrant.
Sponsored by Rep. Ellie Sato, D-Gorham, the bill would prohibit someone from acting on behalf of a public school, state college or university, health care or child care facility, family child care provider or a public library from voluntarily assisting federal immigration enforcement.
The bill, LD 2106, would prohibit people from allowing immigration officers into nonpublic areas or accessing, reviewing or obtaining student, patient or library records.
Access to nonpublic areas and records would still be provided under a valid judicial warrant.
The Attorney General’s office would be tasked with drafting model policies by Jan. 1, 2027 Groups would be required to adopt those or similar policies within six months.
The bill was proposed before the current surge of immigration enforcement in the state, which began last Tuesday.
The Judiciary Committee is expecting a large turnout. Last week the clerk said testimony for and against the bill will be heard in two-hour blocs, beginning with supporters. Online testimony would be heard after everyone in-person has testified.
— Randy Billings
1 p.m.: Maine Attorney General asking to join Minnesota’s lawsuit against DHS Secretary
Maine is one of 20 states that have asked to join Minnesota’s lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Aaron Frey and 19 other Democratic attorneys general asked on Thursday to file a brief in support of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which sued Noem on Jan. 12 in an effort to stop increased immigration enforcement.
Maine is also experiencing a targeted ICE operation, which the Department of Homeland Security confirmed launching last week. At least a hundred people have been detained in Maine so far.
Minnesota has argued that DHS, under the Republican Trump administration, has been violating free speech rights by focusing its operations on a progressive state that favors Democrats and welcomes immigrants. A spokesperson for DHS has said that their enforcement was necessary because Minnesota officials have ignored public safety.
A federal judge in Minnesota heard arguments Monday morning regarding Minnesota’s request to temporarily halt ICE enforcement while the court decides whether ICE activity has been constitutional. A ruling has not yet been issued.
UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR INJUNCTIVE RE… by Maine Trust For Local News
Frey and the other attorneys general said in their filing that they share a “profound interest in safeguarding” constitutional rights, and that they fear the operation in Minnesota could be used as a blueprint for federal action in other states.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Maine Attorney General declined to comment further on Monday.
The Portland City Council is expected to discuss Minnesota’s lawsuit against Noem in an executive session Monday night, although members have not shared whether they plan to join the case.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline declined to comment on any plans his city might have for joining the case.
— Emily Allen
12:45 p.m.: Gun Owners of Maine president reacts to fatal Minneapolis shooting
Gun rights advocates in Maine and other states struck a nuanced tone in commenting on the fatal shooting of a nurse and protester in Minneapolis who was a lawful gun owner by Border Patrol agents Saturday.
Several prominent groups, including the National Rifle Association, criticized Trump administration officials for suggesting it was dangerous for gun owners to protest while possessing legally obtained firearms, after a federal agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and Veterans Affairs nurse, during ongoing protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minnesota.
Several videos showed Pretti holding a cell phone before numerous federal agents pushed him to the ground and a scuffle began, with one officer seen reaching into Pretti’s waistband.
The Trump administration posted a photo of a handgun with two magazines recovered from the scene and swiftly called Pretti a “domestic terrorist.” Federal officials also called Renee Nicole Good, a protester fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month, a “domestic terrorist.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also among federal officials who argued that “peaceful protesters” do not carry firearms with them, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Southern California tweeted, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
The NRA called Essayli’s comments “dangerous and wrong.”
Gun Owners of Maine President Laura Whitcomb said, “To say you can’t have a firearm at a protest in a blanket way is false.”
Whitcomb stressed Monday morning that her group was not weighing in on the immigration enforcement operations in Maine and Minnesota, but was focused on the gun rights debate.
Whitcomb added that she “wouldn’t advise anyone to make the presence of their concealed firearm known in a highly volatile situation,” but critiqued comments from federal officials.
“Inherently, it is not against the law to protest with a firearm,” she said.
Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine leader David Trahan declined to comment Monday.
— Billy Kobin
12:10 p.m.: Maine artists using their work to support immigrant communities
Some local artists and creatives are using their work to raise funds and awareness for immigrant rights in Maine.
Barbara Astmann, of Scarborough, had raised more than $1,500 as of last week for Maine mutual aid organizations by selling hand-printed t-shirts, sweatshirts, prints, tote bags and stickers through social media.
Her design reads “protect and defend our immigrant neighbors” and depicts a monarch butterfly — representing those who cross borders — and milkweeds, a plant crucial to the insects’ survival.
Astmann previously sold prints during the No Kings protests in summer 2025 and raised $2,000 for Project Relief Maine, which provides emergency financial support to connect immigrants to legal resources and basic needs. This time around, the funds are being split between Project Relief and the Maine Solidarity Fund.
“I just wanted to do something — I felt really helpless,” she said.
Brunswick shop Hatch on Maine is selling heart signs crafted out of vintage quilts, with all proceeds going to Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, owner Hannah Beattie told the Maine Trust for Local News last week.
— Katie Langley
11:55 a.m.: Lewiston High students plan to walk out
A student group at Lewiston High School said they are planning a walkout on Friday. The group plans to march downtown in solidarity with immigrant communities.
The group, Lewiston Student Voices, said the student-organized walkout is a peaceful demonstration amid unrest over ICE activities.
“We know how high the tensions are within our community and how important it is to practice our First Amendment right to speech,” the group said, adding that a large student turnout is expected.
The walkout will feature black clothing, signs, chanting and will proceed to the Lewiston downtown, according to the group’s Instagram profile. “Calling all Maine schools: We invite students across Maine to walk out at the same time to show statewide unity against ICE!”
— Joe Charpentier
11:50 a.m.: Midcoast students plan Monday walkout to protest ICE presence
Students at Midcoast high schools plan to walk out of classes on Feb. 2 to protest a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Maine.
Students from Mt. Ararat, Brunswick and Morse high schools, as well as Lincoln Academy, will walk out at noon on Feb. 2, according to the Morse chapter of Midcoast Youth Activists.
Walk out participants from the schools plan to meet at the Sagadahoc Bridge, along with non-student protesters.
A walkout of Portland Public Schools students planned for Tuesday has been postponed for safety reasons, organizers said.
— Katie Langley
11:30 a.m.: Black Owned Maine says it took down website to protect companies
Black Owned Maine, a nonprofit connecting over 450 minority-owned businesses across the state, announced late Sunday on Facebook that it has taken down its website to protect companies listed in its directory.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken down our directory and thus our website,” the post explained. “Unfortunately, the two coexist so much that one cannot exist without the other.”
The organization said it was responding to the increasing threats against minority communities in Maine, where ICE has ramped up operations.
“We are working to develop a more secure point of entry so our community is not put on blast anymore than it currently is,” the post stated. “Thank you for your understanding and for all the individuals, mutual aid groups, and nonprofits working around the clock to protect our communities.”
The group’s organizers said they were unsure when the website would go live again.
Commenters were dismayed at the news.
“You should not have to go in hiding,” one wrote. “I am ashamed to live in a world right now where this has to be the reality.”
Another wrote, “It is both sickening and understandable that you have to do that.”
— Kelley Bouchard
10:30 a.m.: Assistant Secretary of DHS says there is no database of ‘domestic terrorists’
According to Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, there is no database of ‘domestic terrorists’ run by the department.
“We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” she wrote in an email statement. “Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime.”
Since the federal operation began last week, community members have driven around towns and cities to monitor ICE activity, especially in the mornings and afternoons when children are going to school or coming home.
Some volunteers say that federal agents have started showing up at their homes and intimidating them or threatening arrest. Some of these agents, masked and wearing tactical gear, have issued stark warnings not to follow them.
In a video shared on Representative Chellie Pingree’s Facebook page, a woman who was filming multiple agents asked why they were taking down her information.
“Because we have a nice little database,” said a man in a tactical vest with a buff pulled up over his nose. “And now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.”
“For video taping you? Are you crazy?” she asked.
The First Amendment protects people’s right to observe, monitor and record federal law enforcement, according to the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Read the full story here.
— Dana Richie
9:45 a.m.: Maine attorney general creates email tip line to report potential violations by federal agents
The Office of the Maine Attorney General is creating a dedicated tip line for reports of federal agents violating Constitutional and civil rights, the state announced Monday morning.
Attorney General Aaron Frey, a Democrat, is urging residents to send information about “intimidating or excessive behavior used by federal agents” to [email protected]. Frey’s office made the announcement after the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal agent amid an enforcement surge in Minnesota.
“With the federal government now surging federal agents into Maine under the banner of immigration enforcement, evidence of constitutionally-deficient, excessive, and intimidating enforcement tactics is quickly emerging in our own state,” Frey’s office wrote in a statement.
Tips should include dates, times, locations and contact information for those involved, the attorney general’s office wrote. The tip line is not accepting photos and videos, though Frey asked tipsters to note if the incident was documented.
Emails to the tip line are not necessarily private, Frey noted, and may be subject to public records laws.
— Dylan Tusinski