Lewiston Council Limits Local Involvement in Federal Immigration Enforcement

LEWISTON – The Lewiston City Council today passed an ordinance to limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. It offers Lewiston residents stronger protections than those in LD 1971, a new state law that will take effect this summer, by applying limitations to all city staff and not only law enforcement.

Following a robust public comment period, the measure passed with a 5-2 vote. It amends the city code to state that “employees and resources cannot be used to assist, cooperate with, or facilitate any federal agency in any immigration enforcement operation, except where legally required to do so by state or federal law or court order.”

“Maine’s elected leaders should do all they can to protect their communities from a federal government that shows alarming disregard for constitutional rights. We are thrilled that Lewiston has joined Rockland in taking this decisive action,” said Michael Kebede, policy director at the ACLU of Maine. “Measures like this preserve local resources for local priorities, ensure Maine towns and cities are not complicit in or liable for federal abuses of power, and improve public safety by building trust between local law enforcement and the communities they are supposed to serve.”

The vote follows nearly a year of increased scrutiny on Maine's engagement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies. Last spring, the Town of Wells was the only municipality to maintain a proactive agreement with ICE, and the towns of Winthrop and Monmouth were pursuing a joint agreement with the agency. Following public activism, Wells withdrew from its agreement, and Winthrop and Monmouth rescinded their joint application.

Rockland passed a nearly identical ordinance to Lewiston’s in December 2025. Looking ahead, a new state law, LD 1971, will create statewide protections that apply only to how law enforcement engages with federal civil immigration operations. It will take effect this summer.

In an October 2025 poll, a majority of Maine voters said they disapproved of “the way the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, is doing its job.” More voters in both congressional districts disapproved of ICE than approved. The poll was published before the January ICE surge known as “Operation Catch of the Day,” which terrorized communities with unlawful actions that led to widespread declines in school and work attendance, sustained protests, and over 200 arrests. A University of New Hampshire poll conducted after the “operation” shows a majority of Mainers support more restrictions on ICE and believe the agency is making the country less safe.