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I wanted to write to you today to share my thoughts on what is going on in Maine this week. To be very clear: I have called for ICE to leave Maine.
With the surge of enforcement activity in the state this week by ICE and other federal agencies, it is so important that Mainers look out for our neighbors and stand up against this Trump Administration fear campaign. Families and communities are justifiably concerned and scared as they see people harassed and detained on their way to school and work.
The tragic loss of Renee Nicole Good, the mother who was shot and killed by a federal ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month, is a heartbreaking incident that demands urgent questions about federal immigration enforcement and accountability.
Instead of providing transparency, the Trump administration has only doubled down — further deploying armed and masked agents to American streets in ways that have many families scared and uncertain about what comes next. That’s unacceptable. Now they have brought their surge in Maine - just to cause chaos and make people afraid.
That is not who we are as Mainers, and this is not who we are as Americans.
We believe in the right to due process, and we believe that Donald Trump must remove these armed agents from our communities. We’ve said clearly that just like any other law enforcement agency, agents should be required to show their faces and names, and they must show a warrant prior to entering your home.
I respect our local law enforcement, and I believe that people who break the law should be held accountable. But what ICE is doing isn’t making our communities safer. This surge in ICE activity in Maine isn’t about keeping the peace, it’s about scaring people and turning neighbors against each other. That kind of fear doesn’t belong here, and it makes all of us less safe.
Governors are on the front lines of defending our democracy and protecting our communities. When Washington acts recklessly or pushes extreme policies, it’s up to state leaders to uphold our values and ensure our families remain safe and secure. We will continue to stand up to this administration, and we will not rest until this stops.
Here are some resources to learn exactly what your rights are and how to respond ahead of ICE activity in Maine:
And if you’d like to support Maine's immigrants and their families, please consider giving to Maine’s only state-wide immigration legal services organization, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project today or look for ways to support local community groups that are helping families get through this difficult time.
Thank you,
Hannah Pingree
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