A Cumberland County corrections officer was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Portland Press Herald.
County officials confirmed the arrest to the Press Herald on Monday, although the date of the arrest and the identity of the corrections officer are unclear. The officer was not on duty at the time of the arrest and no longer works at Cumberland County Jail.
Over the past year, the jail has hired an increasing number of immigrants to combat a staffing shortage after removing a requirement that job applicants take English reading and writing comprehension tests.
Although Cumberland County houses ICE detainees in its jail, the Department of Homeland Security has accused the county of being uncooperative.
The arrest comes as Maine police and legislators navigate a broader immigration crackdown under the Trump administration.
Some Maine police departments have considered joining an ICE program that gives local law enforcement the power to enforce certain aspects of federal immigration law. Only one Maine town — Wells — has formally entered a partnership but paused it recently. Meanwhile, state lawmakers proposed legislation in May that would ban such agreements.
Maine lawyers have reported an uptick in ICE agents detaining clients with valid work permits who were pursuing legal immigration. In one case, ICE wrongfully detained a man with lawful documentation for 65 days.
