A significant new law in Maine, set to take effect imminently, dramatically curtails the ability of state and local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration officials on civil enforcement matters. Dubbed the “ICE Out of Policing” law, it prohibits agencies, including jails, from initiating contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for immigration-related purposes, and crucially, forbids them from using federal agents for translation services or providing personal information for civil immigration enforcement, with narrow exceptions for criminal investigations. Furthermore, local and state agencies can no longer hold individuals solely based on civil immigration warrants, nor can jails typically notify ICE of inmate release dates or honor civil detainer requests, unless serious crimes, outstanding warrants, final removal orders, or significant public safety concerns are involved. This policing measure is complemented by two other laws: one restricting employees at public schools, libraries, healthcare facilities, and childcare centers from allowing immigration officers into nonpublic areas or accessing protected records without a warrant, and another prohibiting landlords from disclosing tenants’ personal information, including immigration status, without consent or a legal mandate. These sweeping changes, some enacted without the governor’s signature and others signed into law earlier, build upon existing local ordinances in cities like Portland and Lewiston that already limited police communication with ICE, aiming to foster greater community trust among immigrants and ensure public safety regardless of immigration status, according to immigrant rights advocates who point to numerous past instances where cooperation led to the arrest of individuals with no criminal records and in lawful immigration processes.
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
