Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
In June, the Maine Legislature passed LD 1971, a bill putting guardrails around how local law enforcement spends time and resources on federal civil immigration enforcement. Since July, the bill has sat on Gov. Janet Mills’ desk without a signature. Once the Legislature comes back into session in January, Mills will have three days to either let this bill become law or to veto it. We believe she should not veto this law.
LD 1971 would essentially prevent Maine state police from joining in the outrageous and frightening tactics of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that we’ve been seeing across the country and here in Maine over the past year. LD 1971 provides a framework for local law enforcement agencies to maintain their limited resources for public safety rather than to assist ICE in stopping, investigating, interrogating, arresting or otherwise detaining people.
Raids on restaurants, arrests of people on their way to work or school, and other ICE activities have understandably terrified our immigrant neighbors, keeping them at home and away from their jobs, education, and faith communities. This is not how life should be in Maine. New Mainers are our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors. They are essential to our economy and our community.
Mills has earned our admiration by standing up to President Donald Trump. We believe she should do so again: local and state resources should not be used to support ICE’s current mission.
Sandy Butler
Anne Lichtenwalner
Food AND Medicine’s Civic Engagement Group
Orono
