Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam made the announcement at a select board meeting last night.

An overflow crowd in Augusta testified largely in favor of the bills, but several law enforcement associations object to the measures.

A statement released Wednesday by Customs and Border Patrol says the jump in arrests is due to increased enforcement operations.

In the months since his arrest, Jose Adalberto Herrera has been detained in New York City at a facility for immigrant children and faces possible deportation, according to the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, a Maine-based group that is one of several legal advocacy organizations working on the boy’s case.

Lawyers in multiple states say their clients have been arrested in Maine in recent months despite having valid work permits, no criminal record, and pending claims for permanent status.

Residents offered diverging - and at times impassioned - views on immigration enforcement.

The legal advocacy group is seeking more information from local law enforcement agencies about how they work with ICE and Border Patrol.

The Wells Police Department recently became the first law enforcement agency in Maine to enter into a formal agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A Wells police captain said it would save time and resources in specific scenarios. But an immigration lawyer said ICE is using the program to expand detention and deportation efforts nationally.

Speakers also called attention to immigration arrests in Maine and Israel's renewed attacks in the Gaza Strip.