Paul Ferland, right, who serves as the chief of both Monmouth and Winthrop police departments, speaks Wednesday during a packed Monmouth Select Board meeting on behalf of his decision to file for and withdraw an application to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

MONMOUTH — After dozens of residents voiced opposition, the police department has withdrawn its application for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that allows local law enforcement agencies to work with the federal agency to enforce federal immigration laws.  

Police Chief Paul Ferland said he was seeking the training so his officers would know what to do if they come across people who are in the United States illegally.

In the past year or so, Monmouth officers have called the U.S. Border Patrol about a dozen times, each time with questions about legal rights, when to detain someone and how to not violate someone’s constitutional rights. 

Each instance can take hours, Ferland said, as officers wait for federal agents to arrive from wherever they are stationed. Once the agents arrive, they check for the person’s immigration status and whether they may have an upcoming court date. If not, the officers can issue a date. 

The southwest Kennebec County town is home to a number of businesses, including agricultural businesses that employ migrant workers.

Ferland announced the department’s withdrawal from the program Wednesday at the town’s Board of Selectmen meeting, which was packed with residents both in person and on Zoom who turned out mostly to speak against the move.

Because Ferland is also the chief of the Winthrop Police Department, that town is also withdrawing, he said.

“When I saw how this is dividing the community, it’s not what I want. It’s not what our officers want. Our community is our community, it’s our home. The officers love their community, and we are not here to divide it. That is one of the reasons why I pulled the application. Not the only, but the biggest,” Ferland said. 

Following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, police departments from 38 states have applied to be a part of ICE’s 287 (g) program, including the Wells Police Department, which according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement data is the only Maine police agency that is currently taking part.

The majority of the 60 residents who attended the meeting said that while they recognize the need for training, they do not want to be one of the first towns in Maine to sign on with ICE in light of recent deportations, including the mistaken removal of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador.  

Dori Burnham, who worked in immigration and customs for years, was one of the dozens of people filling the Town Hall meeting room. She said with the different ways a person might be in the country without citizenship — through a student or work visa, a green card, or by seeking asylum — a person’s legal status might not be obvious just by looking at an identification card.  

“If you withdrew the application, I salute you. It is such a difficult thing to navigate. I went through 18 weeks of immigration training and there were still laws we didn’t know. That was 25 years ago, and now it’s seemingly impossible,” Burnham said.

Mary Griswold speaks Wednesday during the public comment portion of the Monmouth Board of Selectmen meeting. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

When asked how the officers can tell if a person is in the country illegally, Ferland said showing a foreign identification card during a traffic stop can be one way. He said police officers would not go door to door looking for people who are in the country illegally, but rather, the training would allow the Monmouth police force to take on certain responsibilities during traffic stops.

The police department would not be paid for helping ICE, and only the cost of the training is covered federally.

“(After the training) we may still end up sitting there. We may be able to issue a citation, but it’s based on what ICE tell us to do. It was appealing to me to get officers back to what they are doing and not sit roadside for hours,” Ferland said.  

Some residents support the department’s move to apply for training with the community’s safety in mind, while others, including selectmen, said that it might not be the job of town police to track down people who are in the country illegally; it should be up to county sheriffs or the Maine State Police to apply for the ICE training.

Kent Ackley, a member of the Monmouth Board of Selectmen and the moderator of the public comment portion of the meeting, speaks Wednesday on the proposal of the town’s police department to seek immigration enforcement training. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Though Ferland withdrew the application, residents still recognized the need for training on how to handle the various situations.

Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Kennebec, who attended the meeting, said the Maine Legislature passed a bill in 2019 to require the Criminal Justice Academy board of trustees to develop instruction for law enforcement officers in Maine aimed to eliminate profiling. Profiling for race, gender, religion or socioeconomic status is illegal in Maine.

Others, like Berlynna Heres, offered their time to help research other avenues to gain the training.

“I’m very excited you withdrew your proposal,” Heres said. “ICE is not representative for following due process and the rule of law that we have agreed to. I don’t think their actions represent Monmouth or the Monmouth Police Department.

“I’m happy to help find better training opportunities. If you need a brainstormer, I have some free time and I want to help.”