Maine's Cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

April 17, 2025

The Trump administration is using Maine to facilitate its mass deportation efforts. We’re demanding more information about federal operations and how state and local law enforcement may be helping to carry out these cruel policies. 

Specifically, we are monitoring how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) are using Maine’s state and local law enforcement and detention facilities to detain immigrants.  As part of processing and removal operations, ICE and CBP often use state and local law enforcement resources to arrest and detain immigrants. This includes using staff time, facilities like jails and prisons, and vehicles. Once in detention, people are often subject to harsh conditions and transferred between detention facilities without notice, harming their welfare and their access to legal counsel.  Valued members of our communities are being detained with little to no information regarding their circumstances. We believe it is crucial for Mainers to know how their public officials are supporting federal immigration enforcement, which often violates people's constitutional rights. 

These abuses of power threaten all people, regardless of their immigration status. Actions targeting specific minority groups undermine due process rights for everyone as power is consolidated and our system of checks and balances is dismantled. 

We’ll continue to update this page as we receive records concerning Maine law enforcement’s involvement with Trump’s dangerous and unprecedented mass deportation efforts.  

1. What We're Asking For

A.What We're Asking For

A.

We’re demanding information to understand how the Trump administration is enacting its mass deportation agenda in our state, including the use of local law enforcement and facilities to arrest and detain immigrants. We asked every sheriff in Maine for basic information about the relationship between the sheriff’s office and ICE and CPB. Specifically, we asked for:  

  • A copy of a current contract or any other document governing the relationship between county sheriff's office, the county jail, and ICE  
  • Whether the county jail is holding any ICE detainees, and if so, how many  
  • A copy of a contract or any other document governing the relationship between the sheriff's office, county jail, and Customs and Border Patrol  
  • Any policies or procedures related to holding individuals for ICE or CBP, including any policies or procedures related to ICE detainers.   

Following these initial emails and their responses, the ACLU of Maine filed requests for information from state and federal agencies under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the state Freedom of Access Act (FOAA): 

  • FOAAs to Franklin, Somerset, and Hancock County Sheriffs, for records about their communication and cooperation with ICE and CBP. These counties failed to respond to our initial requests or sent incomplete information. 
  • FOAAs to the towns of Wells, Monmouth, Winthrop, all of which have signed agreements to help ICE carry our federal immigration enforcement, known as a 287(g) agreement. We’re requesting the full agreements and any related financial or operational documents. 
  • FOIAs to ICE and the U.S. Marshals – for information on contracts with Maine jails and how many people are currently being detained by ICE in Maine jails. 

FOAAs are filed to obtain information from state and local agencies under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act. FOIAs are filed to obtain information from federal agencies under the federal Freedom of Information Act. 

2. What We've Received

A.What We've Received

A.

All counties except Somerset responded to our initial email to each country sheriff, requesting initial information about their relationships with ICE. Of those who responded:

  • Two jails have agreements with the U.S. Marshals service and are currently holding ICE detainees in their jails: Cumberland Country Jail (CCJ) in Portland and Two Bridges Regional Jail (TBRJ) in Wiscasset.  
  • TBRJ has agreed to hold up to 25 ICE detainees. Jail officials say the same policies and procedures apply to all people detained in TBRJ, regardless of immigration status. 
  • CCJ holding up to 80 ICE detainees as of April 16, 2025. They provided four documents of policies that specifically address ICE detainees, which are linked below. 

Since sending out our FOAA and FOIA requests, we have received: 

  • Documents from Wells, including emails between ICE and Wells Police Department expressing interest in the 287 (g) program, information about the program, training required, and eventually the executed 287 (g) agreement. 
  • Information on what the program gives the Wells Police Department the ability to do, including
    • Interrogate suspected immigrants as to their right to be in the U.S.  
    • Warrantless arrests of non-citizens unlawfully entering or trying to enter U.S. in officer’s presence 
    • Serve/execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations 
    • Issue immigration detainers 
    • Take + maintain custody of non-citizens arrested by ICE or by other law enforcement agencies on ICE’s behalf 
    • Take and maintain custody of non-citizens arrested under immigration laws + transport them to ICE-approved detention facilities.  

On April 21st, the towns of Winthrop and Monmouth rescinded their 287 (g) applications after intense public backlash, as well as concerns about potential costs and legal liability.

 

 

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