Press Herald - U.S. Sen. Susan Collins called on the Trump administration Tuesday to pause its aggressive immigration enforcement in Maine and Minnesota around the same time police arrested nine faith leaders who were protesting outside the senator’s Portland office. The group representing nearly 10 denominations was there to urge Collins to call for an immediate end to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement campaign in Maine.
Press Herald - ICE operation continues in Maine; advocates say efforts have slowed, agency won’t confirm Federal officials have claimed 200 arrests since last week and the impacts have rippled out to businesses and schools. How long Maine will see increased ICE presence remains unknown...
Maine public schools in areas where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been patrolling have started to to see impacts in the form of decreased attendance and increased anxiety among some students and parents. Portland, which has a large immigration population, is among the school districts considering offering a remote learning option on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile, lawyers are reporting that some clients who have been detained have struggled to get a bond hearing from the U.S. Department of Justice, even though a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that certain immigrants in government custody are entitled to such hearing. Immigration court judges across the country have been instructed to disregard such declarations.
Susan Collins says ICE operations in Maine, Minnesota should be paused ICE reports in Maine slow after spike last week, immigrant advocates say Feds gave judge in Maine wrong whereabouts of man arrested by Border Patrol Maine schools react to increased ICE enforcement Lawyers say it is harder for Mainers arrested by ICE to get bond hearings
10 a.m.: ICE officials won’t say if operations have slowed in Maine ICE officials declined to share whether operations in Maine have slowed since its enhanced enforcement began last week.
...Immigrant advocates said Tuesday that calls to their ICE activity hotline have slowed after a significant spike last week — when federal officials reported that agents had apprehended more than 200 people since its operation began on Jan. 20.
Officials from the federal agency, however, refused to answer whether immigration enforcement activity has reduced, and would not share how many agents are working throughout the state.
“Due to operational security and officer safety, ICE does not discuss any ongoing, upcoming, or planned immigration enforcement operations. ICE also does not divulge law enforcement tactics or methods,” the agency said in a statement Wednesday.
The search continues today for a 56-year-old Brunswick woman who went for a walk Sunday afternoon and never returned home. Rebecca Dorr has mental health issues, according to police. She also was reported missing last August, and was ultimately found safe in a wooded area three days later.
Brunswick police and other search groups have been scouring woods and trails in town in temperatures hovering around zero. K-9s have been trying to track Dorr, and officers on snowmobiles have been navigating the deep snow that fell over the weekend. Police said they believe Dorr was wearing a green jacket and knit hat. Anyone with information is asked to call 207-725-5521.

