Dr. Nirav Shah, who formerly led Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was hitting the campaign trail this week in the race for Maine's next governor.
Meanwhile on social media, a growing number of videos purporting to show arrests have cropped up on social media this week, mostly in Lewiston and Greater Portland. In a written statement Wednesday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that an immigration enforcement effort dubbed "Operation Catch of the Day" is underway in Maine.
Shah began a town hall event in Lewiston Thursday by calling federal agents' tactics when detaining residents "dehumanizing."
He referenced one confirmed incident when agents arrested a mother of four after following the woman home after she dropped off a child at school.
"Donald Trump is weaponizing fear for political gain, and in so doing, he is choosing who in the United States gets to be fearful and who gets to be safe," Shah told the crowd. "It has echoes, if not outright blueprints, from an earlier, much darker time in world history. What we are dealing with right now is not law enforcement ... it is creeping authoritarianism."
Shah joined a chorus of other Democratic leaders, including Gov. Janet Mills, in criticizing the need for the operation.
In a press conference Thursday, Mills said she isn't seeing evidence from the Department of Homeland Security that federal agents are focused on arresting people with criminal records.
In Lewiston, which is home to one of Maine's largest African immigrant communities, Shah also encouraged audience members to organize, support their neighbors and document interactions with ICE.
"Tonight is equal parts, condemnation, commiseration and activation," he said. "We will not be able to rely upon the federal government for just about anything, whether it's vaccine policy, whether it's to protect our environment, whether it's to help educate our kids, or whether it is simply to help keep Mainers safe."
Shah is one of seven Democratic candidates in what is becoming a tight race for the Blaine House.
While he's raised the least amount of funds according to campaign finance records, he is gaining momentum in some recent polls.
Audience members said they enjoy Shah's fast, authoritative delivery and ability to distill policy into simple terms.
"I was very impressed with him," said Lewiston resident Melissa Worth. "In this environment of hatred and incivility, he's just a calming voice and that means a lot to me."
Shah told the dozens in attendance that his background as a lawyer and public health official have trained him to be an effective communicator, and that if elected, he would meet regularly with constituents.
"As your governor, I will promise and pledge to hold frequent fireside chats, probably virtually, where I will update Mainers and take tough questions, just as I'm doing so tonight," he said. "How do you know I will do that? Because I have done it before, 322 times."
At the height of the pandemic, large audiences tuned into daily briefings to hear Shah break down the latest science, and health and safety guidelines.
Health standards, Shah said, have been broken down since President Donald Trump and his HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office.
"One of the reasons why this election for governor has outsized importance is that it will be up to the next governor to implement safe, data driven health policies that keep every single person in Maine healthy," Shah said. "Those are the things that we can do very concretely in Maine, and that as governor, I will do."
