(The Center Square) — Maine is moving to limit cooperation with federal immigration agents after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills allowed a “sanctuary” state proposal to become a law without her signature.
Mills announced her decision on the legislation, approved earlier this year by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in an op-ed in which she decried the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. She said while the bill is “imperfect … the times call for it” and that her administration “cannot turn a blind eye to ICE’s unacceptable actions.”
“Under any other president, this may be acceptable, but under this Trump administration, it has become a broad and dangerous promise that Maine will not make,” Mills wrote.
Mills also announced that she repealed an executive order issued in 2011 by then-Republican Gov. Paul LePage which called for fostering more cooperation between state and federal officials on immigration enforcement.
Republicans blasted Mills for not vetoing the bill, saying it will make the state less safe and potentially impact millions of dollars in federal grant funding the state receives from the federal government, with the Trump administration threatening to freeze funding for “sanctuary” states and communities.
Limiting cooperation between Maine law enforcement and federal authorities – a longstanding tradition due to Maine’s extensive foreign border – shows a reckless disregard for public safety and will put Maine’s public at risk,” the Maine House Republican caucus said in a statement. “By restricting law enforcement access to individuals already in custody, this law shields criminals and weakens efforts to prevent violent crime.”
Currently, Maine isn’t considered a “sanctuary” state, but several communities have local laws aimed at preventing local police from acting as immigration agents or enforcing federal immigration laws, which are both civil and criminal in nature.
Democrats who pushed the bill through the Legislature say allowing local police to cooperate with ICE operations makes communities less safe because it dissuades people from reporting crime for fear of deportation. They claim the new law won’t restrict federal officials from apprehending dangerous criminals in the state.
“When the Legislature enacted this bill last June, we made it clear that defining the boundaries between state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities was critical to safeguarding our communities,” state Rep. Deqa Dhalac, a South Portland Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “This new law will protect the dignity, due process and public safety of all who call our state home.”
The Maine Sheriffs’ Association was among law enforcement groups that opposed the legislation, saying the move would violate federal laws and are “not in the best interest of public safety” in the state.
If the Trump administration decides to challenge the new law, it would likely be up to the next governor to defend it. Mills, who is seeking the Democratic party’s nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in next year’s election, steps down from the governor’s office at the end of the year because of term limits.
Last month, Maine border control officials say they apprehended an “unprecedented” number of individuals over the past year even as illegal crossings along the U.S.-Canada border plummet. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Houlton Sectorsaid of the 725 individuals apprehended included members of criminal gangs like MS-13, SATG, and Tren de Aragua, as well as an individual with an Interpol Red Notice for murder.
Nationwide, illegal border crossings in 2025 plunged to the lowest level since 1970 following an aggressive immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
