Peter Pressman, MD, MS, FACN, of Winter Harbor and Edward A. McCulloch, Ph.D., of Tucson, Arizona, are former naval officers and current public health activists.

Mainers have a long and proud history of political activism and civic engagement. But with indications that federal immigration enforcement activity may soon occur in Portland and Lewiston, this is a moment that calls not for confrontation, but for restraint.

Civil disobedience has a critical and storied history. But, in the present moment, it may well be a time to avoid protests or demonstrations — peaceful or otherwise — not because our rights have diminished, but because calm is the surest way to protect diverse communities and deny any pretext for escalation, including the possible invocation of the Insurrection Act.

Recent national reporting has documented a significant escalation in federal immigration enforcement across several American cities. In many of those places, the effects extended well beyond immigration policy itself, touching public safety, civil liberties and the basic sense of stability communities depend upon.

Where large crowds formed and tensions rose, the result was often confusion, confrontation and harm to bystanders and first responders alike — sometimes followed by expanded federal involvement justified in the name of restoring order. What has unfolded elsewhere offers a clear lesson — and an opportunity. Even when intentions are peaceful, visible unrest can be misinterpreted, escalated or exploited in ways local communities do not control.

History shows that civil disorder — regardless of cause — can be cited to justify extraordinary federal measures, the deployment of additional armed personnel or the use of exceptional authorities that move decision-making further away from local hands. The opportunity before Maine is to deny that justification entirely.

Federal authorities will pursue their enforcement actions whether communities engage them or not. What residents can control is whether those actions are accompanied by confrontation, spectacle and risk to innocent people. Ignoring provocation, avoiding mass gatherings and continuing daily life calmly and lawfully deprives escalation of oxygen.

Maine has long chosen a different path. We are not a state known for panic or provocation. We are known for steadiness, mutual respect and a deep commitment to the rule of law. This moment calls for those values — practiced deliberately and collectively.

Across the country, large-scale federal enforcement operations have sometimes been accompanied by militarized tactics and crowded streets, leaving lasting scars on communities. These outcomes rarely improve safety. More often, they deepen divisions and place the most vulnerable people — children, families, workers and the elderly — at greater risk. Maine can learn from those experiences without repeating them.

None of this suggests that constitutional rights disappear in moments of tension. Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly remain cornerstones of American democracy. But we must also acknowledge reality: federal forces operating under extraordinary authority do not always behave according to the expectations of local civic norms. Rights and responsibilities coexist, and there are moments when restraint is not surrender, but strategy — when choosing calm over confrontation is the most effective way to protect both people and principles.

This is one of those moments.

Remaining calm does not mean remaining silent forever. It does not mean abandoning values or ignoring injustice. It means recognizing that timing and context matter. Large public gatherings during periods of active enforcement increase the risk of misunderstanding, escalation and unintended harm. They can also create the very conditions that invite more force, more disruption and more danger into Maine communities.

Public safety depends not only on law enforcement, but on collective behavior. When residents go about their daily lives calmly and lawfully — when they avoid unnecessary gatherings, refuse to be provoked and look out for one another — they reduce the likelihood of confrontation and help ensure that essential services continue without disruption.

Calm is also a form of solidarity. It protects neighbors who may already feel vulnerable. It shields families from fear. It shows children that adults respond to uncertainty with judgment rather than panic. And it preserves local control at a time when outside forces may be watching closely for any justification to step in more aggressively.

Maine’s strength has never been loudness. It has been resolve. We show who we are not by how fiercely we shout in moments of stress, but by how wisely we act. Choosing restraint now preserves options later. It keeps communities safe, institutions steady and constitutional order intact.

This is not a call for indifference. It is a call for discipline — not at all a demand for silence, but an appeal for foresight.

Let us act, but act smart. Let us remain calm. And let us ensure the safety and security of our fellow Mainers by meeting this moment the way Maine always has — with steadiness, dignity and an unshakable commitment to one another.