Michelle Lamm is executive director of Greater Portland Family Promise.

During this time of year when we should be reflecting compassion and gratitude, far too many families in our community are instead living in fear. In my 25-plus years of working as a social worker with children and families, I have never witnessed the level of anxiety and trauma we are seeing today.

Friends and neighbors who have followed every legal step available to them are being arrested and detained without warning. Some are taken from their workplaces, while others are detained in front of their children’s schools. These actions are not only cruel but deeply destabilizing to families who have already endured unimaginable hardship.

Recently, a former colleague and close friend of mine was detained by ICE while simply doing his job. He is a devoted husband, father and friend and one of the most hardworking, compassionate, community-minded people I know.

Without notice, he was transported to a detention center out of state and held for weeks before finally being granted a bond hearing. His family spent every one of those days consumed with fear and uncertainty. After a few long weeks, he was released, but the trauma remains.

This is no way to treat human beings. Right here in Maine parents are being separated from their children, shackled during transfer and held in cold facilities without access to coats or warm clothing. These are not isolated incidents. This is happening across the country and violates people’s basic principles of dignity and due process.

The current administration is actively dismantling legal pathways and constitutional protections for people seeking safety. Many of those being detained are law-abiding individuals who fled instability, persecution and violence and have followed every legal requirement to pursue asylum or obtain green cards.

They have lived here for years. They work. They pay taxes. They contribute immeasurably to our workforce and our communities. And yet, because of a massive immigration backlog, some waiting a decade or more for their cases to be heard, families are left vulnerable to being arrested and detained.

We are punishing people not for breaking the rules, but for being stuck in a system that cannot process cases efficiently.

Detaining working, law-abiding community members without due process undermines both our legal system and our shared humanity. Maine families deserve better. We need solutions, not fear.

Here is where we must start:

1. Invest in immigration courts and case processing. The backlog of more than 3 million immigration cases nationwide is unacceptable. We need more judges (not fewer) and increased funding for the immigration courts and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Families should not wait a decade for clarity or safety.

2. End arbitrary arrests and ensure humane treatment. ICE officers should be required to identify themselves, follow transparent procedures and treat people with dignity. Fear-based enforcement erodes trust and re-traumatizes families who have already survived profound instability.

3. Guarantee due process and access to legal representation. Every person deserves a fair hearing and access to legal counsel. This is a constitutional right, not an optional courtesy, and the government cannot dismiss or adjudicate cases without providing due process.

Maine has always been a place where we take care of one another. In this moment, our values matter more than ever. We must raise our voices together and demand an immigration system that treats every person with safety, dignity and fairness.

We cannot remain silent while families live in fear, parents are torn from their children and hardworking members of our community are punished for bureaucratic failures. It is time to advocate for policies that prioritize human rights, strengthen our courts and provide real pathways to security and stability.

Maine can, and must, lead by example, showing that compassion, justice and accountability are not just ideals, but actionable commitments in how we treat every member of our community.