Portland - In response to Gov. LePage’s threats to remove sheriffs from office who refuse to honor unconstitutional ICE detainers, the ACLU issued the following statement. It can be attributed to Zachary Heiden, legal director at the ACLU of Maine:
“This is clearly a political move motivated by Gov. LePage’s anti-immigrant agenda. If the governor was truly interested in keeping Maine families safe, he would be listening to the sheriffs. He would not be threatening them for doing their jobs and following the Constitution. And he would not be trying to turn our sheriffs, who are elected by the people of Maine, into agents of the federal government.”
In March, the ACLU of Maine sent a letter to all Maine sheriffs, outlining the dangers of complying with President Trump’s immigration policy demands. According to the letter, local law enforcement are not obligated under federal law to participate in immigration enforcement, and in fact face potential legal liability for doing so.
More information and the text of the letter can be found here: https://www.aclumaine.org/en/press-releases/aclu-maine-offers-support-local-law-enforcement-resisting-trump-threats
