U.S. Border Patrol

The three men, all from Ecuador, are challenging the legal basis of their detention by Border Patrol in Maine.

Edgard Vicente Bermeo Sicha was arrested earlier this summer and transferred to ICE custody in Texas.

Edgar Vicente Bermeo Sicha was arrested in Maine in July, and has since been transferred to ICE custody in Texas.

ICE arrested 27 people through late July, according to the Deportation Data Project.

But the agency did not provide details about the person's identity or the operations of the criminal group.

Immigration lawyers say many of the arrests are the result of informal cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies. The state legislature is debating a bill to restrict that cooperation.

The bill, aimed at preventing local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law, faces additional votes in the House and Senate.

The arrests occurred on Memorial Day following a traffic stop by Maine State Police.

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

According to online booking logs, the jail has held around 70 people for Border Patrol so far this year.