Maine’s first and only police partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was put on hold Tuesday amid backlash from some residents and a legislative debate about banning such agreements.

The Wells police department is the only agency in Maine to sign a formal agreement under the federal agency’s 287(g) program that allows local officers to more easily assist ICE agents. Two bills to ban such partnerships were heard by state legislators on Monday.

Wells police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam told residents at a select board meeting Tuesday that the department was pausing the agreement “to see how the legislation ends up playing out in Augusta.”

“After consultation with Town Manager (Michael) Purdue, I have decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach,” Putnam said.

One bill proposed by Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, would prohibit local agencies from signing the kind of agreement Wells has. Another by Rep. Deqa Dhalac, D-South Portland, would prohibit law enforcement from stopping, arresting or detaining a person solely for immigration enforcement reasons.

About a half-dozen states, including California and New Jersey, have banned departments from entering such agreements.

Members of the Maine’s Sheriffs Association are in unanimous opposition to such proposals here.

“As sheriffs, we cannot and should not be forced to pick and choose which state and federal laws to enforce,” Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason, the chair of the Maine Sheriffs Association Legislative Policy Committee, said earlier this week.

Wells’ partnership has drawn sharp criticism from some residents and loud support from others as President Donald Trump ramps up a campaign to carry out mass deportations.

Maine immigrants, including those with legal status, are increasingly wary of law enforcement and in some cases are avoiding activities outside their homes as federal authorities have begun using plainclothes officers and traffic stops to make immigration-related arrests. Agreements between local departments and the federal enforcement agency exacerbate those concerns, advocate organizations say.

ICE’s 287(g) “task force model” program allows local officers to complete trainings to carry out immigration enforcement work usually reserved for federal officials. The agency has been increasingly contracting with local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration policy.

The ACLU of Maine has called Wells’ agreement “dangerous” and said the department is opening the door to racial profiling and civil rights violations. The organization did not immediately return a request for comment on the agreement being paused.

“At no point was there ever any intent on doing proactive immigration work,” Putnam said Tuesday.

Two other Maine towns, Monmouth and Winthrop, have applied to enter ICE partnerships. Both withdrew their applications after opposition from residents.

There was nothing on the select board’s Tuesday meeting agenda relating to immigration enforcement; Putnam made the announcement during a special presentation. But several residents spoke about the agreement during public comment.

Some decried ICE’s increasingly aggressive tactics, like tracking down immigrants at court appearances. Others said they believe Wells could be placed in a constitutional gray area and its police officers could be prevented from carrying out their standard duties.

“Why are we going to use resources on training to participate in a program with federal immigration when it is not a requirement?” Janet Campagna asked.