Maine News Wednesday

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.



Maine News Tuesday

Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights - Your work on passing LD 1383 to divest Maine from ICE and genocide led to an incredible 90+ people giving testimony to the Committee on State And Local Government last Wednesday -- despite a more than four hour delay, they could not silence us.

The Committee on State & Local Government will likely be voting on LD 1383 this Wednesday.. Follow this link to call the Committee members today and tell them LD 1383 “ought to pass”! Phone calls for peace and human rights are a great way to spend a snow day.

Expand the momentum: LD 2106 (Protect Maine’s public schools, hospitals, daycares, and libraries from ICE) has a hearing this Thursday at 1:00 PM in Augusta! Every piece of legislation that hinders ICE’s ability to wage war on our state is a vital component of resistance. Join us in Augusta this Thursday to testify for LD 2106. Follow this link, for the LD 2106 toolkit from the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP).

Press Herald -  Immigrant-owned and operated businesses in southern Maine have been bracing as Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence ramps up in the area. More than 200 people have been arrested since last week in what federal officials have dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day.” Worried about the safety of their employees and customers, many business owners have made the tough decision to temporarily close their doors. 

Press Herald  - The University of Maine will move forward with plans to demolish its oldest building, Crossland Hall, despite a campaign to preserve it. Critics of the project spanned the political spectrum, from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson to Republican 2nd District candidate Paul LePage. Trustees, however, said the building had outlived its useful life and opposed delaying the university's infrastructure improvement project.

Winter storm hits Maine with over a foot of snow

Maine AG asks to join in support of Minnesota lawsuit against DHS

South Portland’s Taj restaurant makes free hot meals a permanent feature

ICE has detained more than 200 people in Maine so far, feds say

Asylum seeker detained by ICE on Friday had no criminal history in Maine, 


Events

 





Join us for a morning conversation exploring Indigenous ways of relating to water—and what those perspectives can teach us about care, responsibility, and reciprocity in Casco Bay. Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca will be joined by Keyana Pardilla of Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness for a thoughtful, accessible discussion, with time for your questions. 

Coffee with the Casco Baykeeper: Indigenous Relationships with Water

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time: 8:00-8:45 a.m.
Where: Zoom

Coffee with Casco Baykeeper Indigenous Relationships with Water graphic with coffee cup


What do recent PFAS test results tell us about Casco Bay—and what comes next? Join Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca and a panel of experts for a practical, accessible conversation about new PFAS data from across the Bay and lower watershed, including results tied to the Brunswick spill. We’ll explore how the findings compare to EPA criteria, what Maine is detecting in fish and shellfish, and what these “forever chemicals” could mean for Maine moving forward. Grab your favorite hot beverage and bring your questions as we dig into the evolving science together.

webinar graphic with coffee cup

Coffee with the Casco Baykeeper: The PFAS Results are In!


Date: 
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Time: 
8 - 9 a.m.
Where: 
Zoom

Maine News Monday Updated 7:37 PM

Maine Attorney General - Across our nation, we are seeing numerous reports of apparent civil rights violations and improper use of force by federal agents who have been sent into areas targeted for immigration enforcement by the federal government.  With the federal government now surging federal agents into Maine under the banner of immigration enforcement, evidence of constitutionally-deficient, excessive, and intimidating enforcement tactics is quickly emerging in our own state.   

In order to better assess the impacts of these questionable immigration enforcement activities on Mainers, as well as evaluate what action this office may take in response, the Office of the Maine Attorney General has established a dedicated email address for Mainers to share such information with the office for potential investigation. 

The email address-  CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov   - will be monitored for documentation of potential violations of the Maine and federal Constitutions, as well as Maine laws such as the Maine Civil Rights Act.

 We invite the public to submit any descriptions of observed intimidating or excessive behavior used by federal agents. Information that would be helpful to provide includes: date, location of incident, names of any individuals involved as actors or witnesses, if known, and contact information. We will not be accepting photographs and videos through this email address.  However, please let us know if photographs or videos are available and provide contact information so the office can arrange to obtain copies if deemed necessary.

 Finally, please also be advised that this email address is not for seeking legal advice, legal representation, or for requesting feedback.

Press Herald -   Three protesters hold "ICE Out" signs on the steps of the Agora Grand Event Center in Lewiston during a protest Saturday. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)

Maine’s surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action is entering its second week against the backdrop of another fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Federal officials have said they have arrested more than 100 people in Maine and are only targeting criminals, but officials and community members say many of those detained by ICE are either citizens, in the country legally or have no criminal records.

Over the weekend, crowds of anti-ICE protesters gathered in Portland — first in Monument Square, then outside a hotel they believed agents were staying at — and in Lewiston, calling for ICE to leave the state. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills echoed those calls, calling ICE agents “untrained and reckless” and saying they are “stoking fear in communities.”

Press Herald -   Seven passengers were killed and one crew member was seriously injured in a plane crash Sunday night at the Bangor International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.  In an incident report released Monday morning, the FAA said the cause of the crash was still unknown. The aircraft came to a rest, inverted and caught fire, according to the report.

Press Herald - A major snowstorm has hit Maine, dumping up to two feet of fluffy flakes from Sunday afternoon until Monday night. The National Weather Service in Gray forecast that snowfall would begin gently around 2 p.m. on Sunday, picking up in the evening. Between 7 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday, snow accumulation was expected to reach two inches per hour, especially near the coast. Snow will continue to fall throughout Monday at a lighter rate. Read the full forecast.

Press Herald -  Members of Maine’s congressional delegation are calling for further investigation into the shooting of a man in Minneapolis by a Border Patrol agent. This second fatal shooting in Minnesota comes as Maine is also experiencing increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. The debate comes as the Senate considers a proposal to fund various government agencies to avoid another government shutdown, including ICE.

American Legion allows ICE agents to park vehicles in its Scarborough parking lot

Portland schools consider remote learning options amid increased ICE activity

Former Brunswick state Sen. Stanley Gerzofsky dies at 81

Portland in January: Historical photos from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s

Emergency bill to let towns, counties file for bankruptcy protection garners little support



Maine News Sunday

Press Herald - Hundreds of protesters amassed Friday night and six were arrested in Portland, where many of the ICE arrests so far have taken place. Another anti-ICE demonstration occurred Saturday afternoon in Lewiston, home to much of Maine’s immigrant population and the other primary focus of federal agents’ detention efforts this week. Meanwhile, there was another ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis. Read the latest updates.

Press Herald - A major snowstorm is expected to hit Maine on Sunday afternoon, dropping over a foot of snow on parts of the state through Monday. The National Weather Service in Gray predicts that Sunday morning will start off calm, with snow starting to fall after noon in York County, and after 2 p.m. farther north. Snow will be heavy and widespread throughout the evening, with up to an inch an hour expected. Read the full forecast.

Empty vehicles, dropped calls: The eerie scenes as ICE came to Maine

Lewiston anti-ICE protest draws about 1,000: ‘It’s scary to see in our backyard’

Lawyers, legal advocates march through downtown Portland to protest ICE arrests

The Mainers detained by ICE


Tales from the Attic: Henry Gross

Sam Smith - Then there was the day in the 1950s, when the actress Bette Davis came to Wolfe's Neck to help us find water.

Maine News Saturday

New Republic -  ICE agents in Maine arrested a Black law enforcement officer, even after he repeatedly told them he was a legal immigrant. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce confirmed to reporters Thursday that a viral cell phone video of a man being detained by ICE agents in a Portland neighborhood Wednesday was a corrections officer recruit from the county. In the video, the man can be heard shouting “What’s wrong? I’m just coming from work. What’s wrong, guys? I don’t understand this. I don’t have any violations.”

Rep Melanie Sachs - This week, there has been an increase in federal immigration authorities like ICE conducting operations in Maine. I know that this has elicited fear, anxiety and anger for many in our community, and I share a deep concern about the safety of all our residents.

 

ICE’s presence here in Maine, which they are calling “Operation Catch of the Day,” is already causing widespread harm. Like we have seen in Minnesota and states across the country, ICE is now ignoring due process and disregarding the constitutionally protected rights of Maine residents.

 

Masked federal agents are tearing apart Maine families and communities targeting immigrants – most with no criminal records. As a result, members of immigrant communities are not going to work, not going to school, and not going to doctor's appointments for fear of being unlawfully detained and disappeared. It is both infuriating and heartbreaking.

 

Unfortunately, the Maine Legislature does not have the legal authority to block ICE from operating in our state. However, Maine will not be intimidated by their extreme tactics, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect due process and stand for the rule of law.

 

This includes considering legislation this session, LD 2106, which would require federal law enforcement to obtain judicial warrants signed by a judge in order to conduct immigration enforcement in places like public schools, public health facilities, public libraries and daycares. It would also protect due process and strengthen protections against unlawful search and seizure. I will keep you updated on this bill as it moves through the legislative process.

 

In these difficult times, one thing we can all do is make sure our friends and neighbors know their rights. I encourage you to review these resources from the ACLU of Maine and the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. You can also call 207-544-9989 to report verified ICE activity.


Press Herald - While the temperature dropped, emotions remained high as hundreds of protesters took to Monument Square on Friday night after a week in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they detained over 100 people in Maine. “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” protesters chanted as a symphony of car horns blared on Congress Street.

Press Herald - The Rockland woman who captured the world’s imagination as Maine’s lobstering centenarian died Wednesday, having become a beloved symbol of active aging and Maine’s maritime grit after fishing until she was 102. “Virginia Oliver leaves behind a remarkable legacy of tireless passion for fishing that will serve as an inspiration to generations of Maine lobster harvesters,” Maine’s Department of Marine Resources commissioner said.

Maine News Friday

NY Times - In Portland, Maine, a liberal, normally laid-back city known for its coastal views and coffee shops, anxiety and anger were palpable on Thursday, the third day of a statewide surge in federal immigration enforcement.

On the wide brick sidewalks of the city’s Old Port district and the snow-lined streets of its West End, residents expressed their resistance to the crackdown, posting “No I.C.E.” signs in windows, filming traffic stops by masked agents and standing guard at school playgrounds. In the city of about 70,000, which in some ways resembles a small town, many residents said the operation felt like an assault on their peaceful neighborhoods.

“This is a close community, where everyone knows everyone, and it’s not a place anyone
expected this to happen,” said Anny Fenton, a Portland resident. “It feels very surreal and intense.”

The immigration offensive began in Maine this week, the latest in a series of similar federal campaigns in Democrat-led cities across the country. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security said it was targeting 1,400 “criminal illegal aliens who have terrorized communities” in Maine.

Press Herald -   Funding for two state referendum drives is coming almost exclusively from out-of-state sources. A citizen initiative to end recreational marijuana sales and add tracking and testing requirements to medical marijuana received a $2 million infusion from Smart Approach to Marijuana Action Inc., a dark money group from Virginia. 

And a citizen initiative to remove transgender protections for students is mostly funded by an $800,000 contribution from conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein, the founder of the Wisconsin-based Uline Corp., a shipping supplies company. 

The disclosures contained in campaign finance reports filed this week show the outsized role that national groups may play in deciding local issues in the 2026 election cycle. The cycle also includes competitive races for a U.S. Senate seat and a seat in the U.S. House.

...Trump has so far made antitransgender policies a central part of his second term in office. He’s targeting states with transgender protections, including Maine, with investigations and lawsuits. 

Press Herald -  Detainees who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were removed from the Cumberland County Jail on Thursday night, according to the sheriff. Sheriff Kevin Joyce said Friday morning that ICE officials called the sheriff’s office Thursday to inform staff that they were removing all of their detainees in custody at the Portland jail. He said the detainees were transferred out of the jail Thursday night.

The move came after Joyce criticized the federal agency’s practices at a news conference Thursday after agents apprehended a Cumberland County corrections officer Wednesday evening.

Press Herald -  Subzero temperatures are on Maine’s doorstep, with wind chills expected to make conditions even more dangerous. Temperatures are forecast to drop below zero statewide, with negative single digits in southern and coastal areas and readings below minus 10 in northern Maine. Meteorologists say winds could make it feel as cold as 20 to 30 below, with more snow expected to start falling Sunday night and continue through Monday.

Press Herald -    A wave of federal immigration enforcement in Maine that has been marked by widespread reports of arrests, sharp political polarization and a sense of fear in some communities entered its fourth day Friday.

In remarks Thursday from Portland City Hall, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills strongly criticized the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, describing them as “secret police” who have refused to answer questions about their operations, including how many people have been detained. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce also questioned the agency’s tactics, blasting officers’ actions during the arrest of a county corrections officer as “bush-league policing.”

Meanwhile, Republican leaders have called on Democrats to temper their rhetoric, with the Maine GOP chair suggesting that their remarks could cause violence and that they are “playing a dangerous game for purely political purposes” when suggesting resistance to ICE. Conservative Mainers told our reporters this week that many of them welcome what the Trump administration has dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day,” though some also expressed reservations about agents’ tactics.

Maine News Thursday


Independent, UK -   Maine's Democratic governor challenged federal immigration officials Thursday to provide arrest warrants, real-time arrest numbers and basic information about who is being detained in a sweeping enforcement operation in her state, saying residents have been left largely in the dark as fear spreads through immigrant communities.

“If they have warrants, show the warrants. In America, we don’t believe in secret arrests or secret police," Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference, adding state officials do not know where detainees are being held

Maine Democrats -  Know Your Rights from ACLU Maine:

  • You have the right to refuse to open the door to your home unless the agent has a signed judicial warrant. An administrative warrant does not grant ICE permission to enter or search your house.
  • You have the right to ask an ICE officer, "Am I free to leave?"
  • You have the right not to answer immigration officers' questions and to tell an immigration officer, "I choose not to say anything."
  • Even if you exercise your rights, ICE may still detain you.
  • If ICE tries to detain you, do your best to stay calm. Do not run away and do not resist.
Further Resources:

Press Herald -   Gov. Janet Mills denounced the ongoing federal immigration operations in Maine on Thursday, likening federal law enforcement officers to a “secret police.”  At a news conference at Portland City Hall, Mills said the Trump administration has not given her team any data about the number of arrests agents have made. But she said she doubted the administration’s claim that officers were only arresting those who had criminal records. She also criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who wear masks.  “In America, we don’t believe in secret arrests or secret police,” Mills, a Democrat, said.

Press Herald - The Portland City Council unanimously approved an amended contract with the organizers of the Back Cove Music & Arts Festival on Wednesday night that will bring the Payson Park festival back for at least another three years starting in 2027. Leading up to this week’s council meeting, organizers had told city staff that delays in finalizing a new contract this past fall ultimately led them to cancel a 2026 edition.

Press Herald -  A former Bar Harbor restaurant owner says he’s running as an independent for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Susan Collins.  Tim Rich, a former vice chair of Hospitality Maine, an advocacy group for restaurants and hotels, said he’s running as a political outsider who believes “corporations and the two political parties have lied to us while taking away our basic freedoms.”

"I.C.E. is targeting Maine now and already kidnapping teenagers walking down the street,” Rich, 48, of Bridgton, said in a written statement, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is ramping up activity in Maine.

“We are all sitting back while big companies poison our food and steal our water. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars on wars while our people go broke. We are tracked constantly. We can’t allow this to happen anymore. We need to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about what kind of world we are passing on to our children.”

Rich faces long odds in the U.S. Senate race, which is expected to be one of the most competitive and expensive in the country this cycle.

Press Herald -  Maine law requires drivers to turn on headlights when using windshield wipers.  State law says headlights must be illuminated when windshield wipers are in continuous use due to rain, snow or other precipitation. That requirement applies regardless of the time of day.

Headlights are also required to be on from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is reduced such that people or vehicles are not clearly visible at a distance of 1,000 feet.

Daytime running lights alone do not meet the state requirement. Drivers are responsible for making sure their headlights and taillights are turned on and working when required.

State law also requires headlights to be properly adjusted and powerful enough to allow safe driving under ordinary conditions. Most headlight violations are treated as traffic infractions, punishable by fines of $25 to $500.

Press Herald - In Cumberland Foreside, 45 new luxury housing units sit empty. The Mark on Route 1 includes 24 two-bedroom and 21 one-bedroom units. Its development was fraught with challenges, but the building is finished and the new owner is in better financial shape, but still, no one is living there. Cumberland residents and town staff wonder why, and the owner of the units isn’t talking.

Press Herald -  Reports of widespread immigration arrests across Greater Portland and Lewiston continued to spread Thursday, the third day of what federal officials have dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day.”

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security officially announced that the operation was underway — the first confirmation from federal officials of an escalation of immigration enforcement that state and local leaders spoke about last week. The DHS spokesperson said the effort is targeting the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old University of Southern Maine student was detained in Westbrook, according to his mother, who says her son has no criminal record. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was ordered by a federal judge to explain why a Portland resident from Angola who is seeking asylum was detained during a routine check-in at the agency’s Scarborough field office.

The head of the Maine Republican Party on Thursday sharply criticized state Democrats for “telling Mainers to resist, protest, and interfere with” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — rhetoric that he says is “causing anger, panic, and could lead to violence.”

Former Fork Food Lab site in Portland reimagined as Bayside community center

United Airlines will add direct flights from Portland International Jetport to California this summer.


Freeport News

Public Hearing at 2/3/26 Town Council Meeting

A Public Hearing has been scheduled for February 3, 2026, at the Freeport Town Council meeting starting at 6:00 pm at Freeport Town Hall, 30 Main Street, Freeport to discuss the following item: Proposed amendments to Chapter 32, Shellfish Conservation pertaining to the Apprentice Program. This would allow for the issuance of two remaining Apprenticeship Licenses that remain unissued.

Full text of the supporting document is available here (PDF) and at the Clerk’s Office at Town Hall.

See all Ordinances & Codes at this link.

The public is welcome to attend. For additional information see the Town of Freeport website at www.freeportmaine.com
View it on website