While the United States is facing considerable congressional changes in terms of boundaries for noncitizens, at what point do we consider the policies an overstep? 

The report by Emily Allen published on Sept. 8, regarding the arrest of a potentially illegally migrated individual at Papoose Pond, reveals more about the enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that has consumed not only national and local politics, rather than the actual accidental drowning of a man.

Scarborough authorities reiterated that they do not have any specific policies or call-to-action regarding suspected immigrants. As Anahita Sotoohi, an attorney with the ACLU of Maine, points out, individuals may feel unsafe contacting local law enforcement if they encounter an emergency and could potentially end up in federal immigration custody. She states that “it makes everyone (feel) less safe.”

Statistics from DataUSA reveal that the population of Cumberland County born outside the country is only 6.41%. It may be beneficial for Cumberland County law enforcement to establish clear guidelines on when and where to intervene in local emergencies and the implementation of federal immigration enforcement, including where to draw the line. 

Implementing policies that follow natural-born citizens’ rights to due process may give power to law enforcement, but also allows individuals who do have a fear of any sort of ICE application to feel safer in a community that is meant to support them.

Emma Fermo
Orono