RadioActive 5/27/25: Efforts to Stop Cooperation with ICE in Maine : Bills in Legislature

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco A grassroots environmental and social justice news journal, collaboration of WERU and Sunlight Media Collective. Learn more at sunlightmediacollective.org. As stops, arrests and detentions of immigrant residents within Maine have escalated, including those with work permits, green cards or in legal process of seeking asylum, the Maine legislature is currently considering two bills that would curtail the state’s complicity. LD 1259 would prohibit state and local law enforcement from doing the work of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through so called 287g contracts. A second bill, LD 1971, would prohibit state and local law enforcement from stopping, arresting or detaining a person solely for immigration enforcement reasons. The Trump administration’s national strategy of unfettered mass deportations and campai gn of fear, includes enlisting the cooperation of state and local police forces and use of county jails throughout the country. Both proposed bills had a public hearing on May 19, with massive public attendance opposing ICE operations. The work session on the bills is Wednesday, May 28th at 1pm. The Judiciary Committee is still accepting written public comments. Guests: Representative Ambureen Rana from Bangor. Crystal Cron, Presente Maine founding director. Anahita Sotoohi, Maine ACLU staff attorney. Lisa Parisio, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP). Attendees of demonstration at Augusta Statehouse. Members of the public at Cumberland County Commision meeting in Portland. FMI: www.presentemaine.org/ ilapmaine.org/ www.aclumaine.org/ www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0834&item=1&snum=132 legislature.maine.gov/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1315&item=1&snum=132 The post RadioActive 5/27/25: Efforts to Stop Cooperation with ICE in Maine : Bills in Legislature first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.