Wells residents split on town's decision to pause agreement with ICE
Brad Rogers,WGME
Thu, May 22nd 2025
WELLS (WGME) -- "This week, the Wells Police Department decided to freeze its partnership with ICE.
"The chief says it's in part because of a bill before the state legislature that would ban local police from working directly with ICE.
"The Wells Police Department is the only known department in Maine to sign a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.
"But the police chief says they never intended to arrest immigrants.
" 'I'd like to reiterate that at no point was there ever any intent on doing proactive immigration enforcement,' Wells Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam said.
"The now-frozen agreement set off alarms among Wells residents and seasonal businesses that rely on young people with visas to fill summer jobs, including those from Central and South America.
"CBS13 spoke with a young Venezuelan woman who is working in Wells on an H-2B visa. She says even though she's here legally, she doesn't like the idea of Wells police working with ICE agents.
"Neither does Judy Pettinga.
"The Wells Beach store owner says all this does is frighten foreign workers who are here legally."
[...]
"A bill in Augusta would ban local law enforcement from working with ICE.
"#ACLU of Maine told the judiciary committee, 'The Trump administration is terrorizing immigrants and those perceived to be immigrants, regardless of their legal status.' "
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#Authoritarianism #AuthoritarianRule #ICERaids #ICESucks #USPol #MainePol #MaineNews #ImmigrantRights #HumanRightsViolations #HumanDecency
