I’m relieved that the Mills administration is allowing a bill that restricts Maine law enforcement from cooperating with ICE activities and arrests to become law. However, I’m beginning to suspect significant personal collaboration by public and private individuals.

You recently published photos of a Lewiston landlady sharing information with ICE agents. Maine landlords are generally not supposed to release their renters’ names. Had ICE had just shown her a warrant signed by a judge?

On Sunday, you reported that a legally present young adult from West Africa was apparently abducted by three ICE agents shortly after he got into a fender-bender in Westbrook. How were these agents able to descend on this vulnerable young driver so quickly? It has been difficult to document ICE activities in Lewiston/Auburn because they have left or are leaving (behind tinted windows) by the time people arrive on the scene. Are they using a point person to scout before they arrive?

Finally, agents are stopping cars in traffic, abducting the drivers. Maybe they were following a known target, but maybe they know the target’s car make and license plate. Did this require police collaboration to know?

Let us do what we can to prevent the abduction of non-criminal neighbors.

Alice Haines
Auburn