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A Nov. 21 opinion column in the Bangor News (“Gov. Mills should protect Mainers by limiting law enforcement cooperation with ICE”) is definitely worthy of our attention.
Every day, news of immigrants being caught up in ICE’s mass deportation web is holding up a mirror to who we are and what we value as a country. How we respond in this time of crisis is significant.
When our neighbors, coworkers and friends are experiencing trauma and fear as a result of ICE’s ongoing deportation campaign, it begs the question, “What are we willing to tolerate being done in our names?”
We cannot do a lot to counteract the fear and pain currently being experienced by Maine immigrant families, but we can do something.
One of the main ways that Maine’s state and local law enforcement are assisting ICE is by pulling people over for minor traffic infringements and then handing them over to immigration officers. One simple way to pro-actively deter indiscriminate detentions of immigrants in our state is by encouraging Gov. Janet Mills to support LD 1971. The bill essentially clarifies that looking into someone’s immigration status is federal and outside the scope of Maine state and local law enforcement’s role.
When the Legislature resumes on Jan. 7, Mills has three days to act on LD 1971. She can either veto it, or let it stand. What will the governor’s choice say about who she is and who we are as Mainers?
Mary Marra
Wells
