(The Center Square) — Maine lawmakers are considering a pair of bills that would limit cooperation with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns, but the move is opposed by state and county law enforcement officials who say it would force them to violate federal law.
One proposal, being considered by the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary, would prohibit local and state police from entering into agreements with federal agencies to carry out immigration enforcement.
Another bill would restrict the use of state and local resources in supporting federal immigration enforcement and require a judicial warrant for immigration detainers.
Backers of the proposals say allowing local police to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions makes communities less safe because it dissuades people from reporting crime for fear of deportation. They argue it wouldn’t restrict federal officials from apprehending dangerous criminals in the state.
“These bills ensure police can still pursue actual threats to public safety — regardless of status — while prohibiting collaboration with ICE that sows fear,” state Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, said in testimony. “They protect due process, limit detention to 48 hours for immigration holds, and guarantee that the seasonal workers who support our tourism and hospitality industries won’t have to live in fear of our state’s law enforcement.”
Maine isn’t considered a “sanctuary” state, but several communities have local laws aimed at preventing local police from acting as immigration agents or enforcing federal immigration laws, which are both civil and criminal in nature.
However, law enforcement officials are urging lawmakers to reject both plans, saying they would hamper communication between local, county, and state law enforcement and our federal immigration officials.
Hare said the proposals, if approved, could also impact millions of dollars in federal grant funding the Department of Public Safety receives from the federal government, with the Trump administration threatening to freeze funding for “sanctuary” states and communities.
“The loss of this revenue to the Maine State Police, an agency that is smaller now than it was in 1990, would have a direct impact on rural patrol services and public safety,” he wrote.
The Maine Sheriffs’ Association also opposes the plans, saying the proposals would violate federal laws and are “not in the best interest of public safety” in the state.
Kennebec Sheriff Ken Mason said in written testimony that local law enforcement “cannot and should not be forced to pick and choose which state and federal laws to enforce” and shouldn’t be “forced to not cooperate with our federal law enforcement partners.”
“State and local police have no business in unilaterally enforcing immigration law, but standing in the way of immigration enforcement without some constitutional right to do so is wrong,” Mason wrote.
The Maine County Commissioners Association has also raised concerns about the proposals, saying in testimony that local officials oppose a “blanket prohibition” on the ability of county governments to enter into contractual arrangements with the federal government.
“Frequently, county law enforcement authorities are asked to assist federal authorities with regard to immigration activities where public safety is at stake,” the association said. “When such instances arise, it is inherently a local decision as to whether and how local governments should engage.”
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
