Maine Implements Laws Restricting Cooperation With Immigration Authorities

The Government of Maine implemented a series of laws on July 29 and 30, 2026, that severely restrict cooperation between state entities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These measures, which include the "ICE Out of Policing" and "ICE Out of Our Homes" laws, prohibit state and local law enforcement and jails from providing translation services, sharing inmate release dates, or holding individuals for civil immigration detention. Additional provisions empower public schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities to deny ICE access to private information without a judicial warrant and forbid landlords from disclosing tenants' immigration status.

The legislation follows the July 13 killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by an ICE agent in Biddeford. While Governor Janet Mills allowed the bills to become law without her signature, other legislative actions took effect simultaneously, including a supplemental budget providing $300 relief checks for lower-income residents and a 2% tax on individuals earning over $1 million annually.

Advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine and the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, praised the laws as essential for protecting public safety and repairing trust in public institutions. Conversely, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Maine Chiefs of Police Association criticized the measures. Federal officials argued that barring local law enforcement from cooperating with federal agents hinders the arrest of criminal illegal aliens and may necessitate a more visible federal presence in communities.