Lewiston leaders Thursday responded with a mix of relief and skepticism to reports that stepped up enforcement by federal immigration agents in Lewiston and Maine was easing.
“I’m not sure how to verify that, since ICE has not, to my knowledge, advertised that it is, has been, or will be conducting operations in Lewiston,” said Lewiston City Council President David Chittim. “If the rumor is true, I rejoice that the fear and intimidation of our vulnerable population may be given the opportunity to abate.”
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on Thursday morning said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity “ceased its enhanced operations in the state of Maine” one week after federal officials launched “Operation Catch of the Day,” though advocates and immigrant organizations remained skeptical of the news.
Federal officials would not confirm Thursday whether the enhanced operation has ceased. When asked if any arrests occurred after Jan. 24, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said, “DHS will continue to enforce the law across the country, as we do every day.”
ICE agents arrested 206 people in Maine between Jan. 20 to 24, according to a press release issued by the agency Thursday.
The enhanced enforcement operation “targeted egregious criminal alien offenders,” the release stated, though the agency stopped short of saying everyone arrested had criminal records.
Local and state officials and families, however, said some people with misdemeanors or no criminal records were apprehended during the operation, including asylum seekers, a Lewiston mother, an 18-year-old student, a civil engineer and two corrections officers, as well as a local man married to a citizen.
Joshua Nagine, city councilor in Ward 1, said the reports of ICE easing its efforts, if true, are a “welcome reprieve.”
“Many folks with legal status are living in fear currently, including some of my neighbors and friends,” he said.
Nagine said he is thankful that ICE’s operations in Lewiston appeared to be largely targeted rather than a “show of force.” However, he said, the actions raised serious questions about due process and federal transparency.
“Detainment of those with legal status and those without documented criminal histories has increased fear and undermined public trust in immigration enforcement actions undertaken by the current administration.”
Scott Harriman, councilor in Ward 3, said he hopes the reports mean an end to ICE’s “terrorizing of Lewiston residents.”
“However, it won’t fix the damage they’ve already caused,” he said. “I’m heartened by the way so many people mobilized to protect and help our neighbors, and to show ICE that they are not welcome here. We all need to continue that level of solidarity with our community as people continue to evaluate the situation and as they try to locate family members who have been taken.
He, too, questioned why federal agents were targeting residents who are part of the community here.
“They have caused a significant portion of Lewistonians to hide in fear of the aggressive behavior and lawlessness that they’ve seen in other cities. The vast majority of their targets are not criminals and pose no risk to others.”
Mayor Carl Sheline, who met Wednesday with other Maine mayors to discuss the impact of ICE’s operations over the last week, said it was “welcome news” that they may be over.
“ICE operations in Maine have failed to improve public safety and have caused lasting damage to our communities,” he said. “We will continue working to ensure that those who were wrongfully detained by ICE are returned to us.”
The operation has had an impact on business activity in the area, according to a survey by the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
The survey asked its member businesses if they were seeing an impact from increased ICE presence. It garnered 272 responses, with 45% saying it was impacting staffing and operations, 18% saying it was impacting revenue and financials, and the remaining 37% reporting no change.
City Councilor Chittim, who represents Ward 6, said it will take a long time for the city to heal following ICE’s operation, if it is in fact over. And he said the operation appeared political in nature.
“It is hard to imagine that federal agents have focused on Lewiston, Maine, for any reason other than retaliation for having elected a governor with the temerity to challenge the president,” he wrote in an email. “The disruption caused in day-to-day life for immigrants, even those who have attained citizenship, will likely have a long-term ripple effect in education (children being withheld from school), economics (wage earners unwilling to put themselves at risk by going to work), and community engagement (strong disincentive to voice opinions for fear of reprisal).”
‘I cannot say anything bad about their presence here’
Not everyone was critical of ICE’s activities in Lewiston
Councilor Susan Longchamps, who represents Ward 2, said there would be some relief among the immigrant community, allowing kids to go back to school and people back to work.
She agreed there was a lot of fear, but said it may have been overblown.
“I am concerned some of our media outlets and some city officials may have contributed to the rising anxiety rather than ease the minds of immigrant population,” she said.
Longchamps said a friend of her family who is from Ecuador and in the country illegally was pulled over and taken into federal custody. The family got an attorney for the man and went before a judge, and now they have a plan to deal with the situation.
“I really didn’t hear any negative feedback and did not hear about any altercations with ICE,” she said. “I cannot say anything bad about their presence here.”
Councilor Bret Martel, who represents Ward 7, agreed.
“I feel like the narrative created around ICE’s presence has been unsupported by evidence in what I have seen in Lewiston,” he said. “In my opinion, leaders should dial back the harmful and dangerous rhetoric, for the good of everyone, and the local economy.”
Councilors Chrissy Noble and Michael Roy did not respond to questions before deadline.
