It was another busy week at the ACLU of Maine: We gathered with the community at SPACE Gallery, outlined our Robbins victory and next steps, and testified in Augusta on one piece of the puzzle to end the state's Sixth Amendment crisis and uphold the right to counsel.

Come As You Are Community Resistance Event at SPACE Gallery 

We had an amazing time at the “Come as You Are” community resistance event at Portland’s SPACE Gallery on Tuesday, hosted by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. The evening featured readings by several Maine writers, including our own Molly Curren Rowles, who focused on perseverance and resistance during a tumultuous and challenging time. Keep an eye on our events page to see where we’ll be in the coming weeks and months! 

 

Read Molly's Piece

 

Spreading the Word About Our Recent Court Victory and Next Steps

Our chief counsel, Zach Heiden, wrote a piece in the Maine Morning Star detailing our recent victory in Robbins v. State of Maine, and the long journey that got us here. The piece puts into perspective the outsized impact that failing the Sixth Amendment has on the people of Maine and outlines the next steps in the state’s attempt to fix this ongoing constitutional crisis. Read the piece here, and check out our dashboard that tracks the number of people in Maine without an attorney starting in November of 2023.

 

MAINE MORNING STAR

ACLU of Maine Testimony in Support of Expanding Our Public Defense System

We had a busy week in Augusta, testifying on several bills, including LD 1101, "An Act to Address the Limited Availability of Counsel for Indigent Parties." The bill seeks to address the Sixth Amendment crisis brought to light in our Robbins case by increasing funding for indigent defense services. The Sixth Amendment requires the state to provide counsel to people charged with a crime who cannot afford their own, yet hundreds of people are actively being denied that right in Maine.

 

We shared with lawmakers that setting up new public defender offices throughout Maine will help ease the crisis by increasing the number of qualified and effective defense attorneys in the state. This approach offers a more reliable alternative to the state's current system, which largely depends on contracting private defense attorneys who are often unavailable and, at times, unable to adequately represent their clients.

Read the full testimony here

 

Relevant Reads

• Bangor Daily News: What comes next after ruling determines Maine is violating people’s Constitutional rights
• Portland Press Herald: Maine has spent millions to digitize court records — and they’re still mostly not online
• Maine Morning Star: How Trump carved a pathway for his mass deportations through executive orders
• Maine Public: Emergency bill to shore up public defender system lacks support from Maine civil rights advocates

It was another busy week at the ACLU of Maine: We have new Know Your Rights materials, we were out and about in Portland, and we learned more about where immigrants are being held as President Trump attempts to carry out his cruel policy of "mass deportations." Catch up on our week below!

Know your rights at places of worship, schools, health centers, and more

We’re continuing to add more Know Your Rights materials to our website. New this week: A checklist that can be downloaded and printed to help prepare your community for possible interactions with ICE. We have a checklists for places of worship, schools, and health care centers.

Check out our full resource library for Know Your Rights materials here. We'll keep adding and updating materials when needed -- be sure to check back for updates!

Know Your Rights

 

ACLU of Maine at SPACE Gallery

We spent Wednesday evening at the SPACE Gallery, connecting with community members and sharing resources during a screening of Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse. With the recent hiring of our new engagement and education coordinator, Aaron, we're excited to be back out in the community. Keep an eye on the events page of our website to see what we have planned in the future!

 

We’ll be at SPACE again next week, on Tuesday, March 18, for Come As You Are: A Community Resistance Event. Our executive director, Molly Curren Rowles, will be speaking alongside other community members. We hope to see you there!

Learn More and Get Tickets

Raising the Alarm on ICE Detentions in New England

This week, it was confirmed that New England states, including Maine, are being used in President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The ACLU of New Hampshire last week confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is detaining immigrants in a federal prison in northern New Hampshire – despite the federal government never confirming it had plans to do so. According to the LA Times, more than 500 detainees could be held at the prison facility. Dozens more are being held at Cumberland County Jail in Maine.

 

We are keeping a close eye on things and have strong concerns about the inhumane treatment of people in ICE custody. We will not stand by while our region is used to carry out these cruel policies.

Read more about ICE detentions in New England here. 

Tell Trump to Shut Down the Mass Deportation Machine

 

Relevant Reads:

• Channel 8 WMTW: Dozens of federal detainees being held at Maine jail, NH federal prison
• Maine Beacon: As Trump attacks campus free speech, ACLU of Maine steps up to back UMaine system
• Bangor Daily News: Judge rules state must provide attorneys or release indigent defendants from jail