Local officials and advocacy groups in Maine say they're seeing signs of increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
But without confirmation from federal agencies, the scale and scope of the operations remain unclear.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement Tuesday that there was a "increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents" in the city.
The Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition also said in a statement that reports from community members, service providers, and legal partners quote "confirm that increased enforcement activity" is taking place in Maine.
The Portland-based Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project meanwhile said there has been a sudden increase in immigration enforcement reports, activities, and arrests, but could not confirm the number of people arrested.
At the same time, the top federal prosecutor in Maine is warning protesters not to interfere with the actions of federal law enforcement agents.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Benson said in a written statement on Monday that while the Constitution guarantees the right to protest peacefully, anyone who "unlawfully obstructs federal law enforcement activity" will be prosecuted.
Details remained scarce on Tuesday even as a growing number of videos were circulating on social media purporting to show immigration arrests, mostly in the Portland area.
Speaking on the call-in show Maine Calling Tuesday, Portland Mayor Mark Dion said his office is trying to verify reported sightings to get a sense of how many federal agents are in the city.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
