Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A. – Handwritten signs, chants and a packed former church defined the scene in Lewiston today, where 1,000 or more people gathered to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in town.
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While a capacity crowd of around 700 filled the space inside, hundreds more stood outside in frigid temperatures, chanting anti-ICE slogans.
Saturday’s demonstration, called “ICE them out,” followed a surge of ICE activity in Maine focusing on the Somali immigrant community in the state.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security told reporters this week that they had arrested 100 people in the coastal state in what they called “Operation Catch of the Day.”
“This is not a fish market,” said Maine state Rep. Mana Abdi of Lewiston in her remarks at the rally.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who represents Maine in Washington, defended the people detained by ICE.
“When you say these are criminals, the worst of the worst, you can see it with your eyes and I can see it with my eyes,” Pingree said. “These are not criminals. These are hardworking people. These are Mainers.”
Pingree questioned why ICE had been sent to Maine.
“Maine ranks 47th on illegal immigrants,” the congresswoman said. “They should not send them here, they should send them to other states. Get out of Maine!”
During the Lewiston rally, the crowd learned that ICE agents had just killed a man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, only weeks after the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in the same city.
Speakers at the rally included local officials, state representatives, activists and community members.
Somali-American and former Lewiston City Councilor Safiya Khalid said that in these times, the community helping each other is vital.
“They (ICE) underestimate neighbors who drive each other to work, networks who shop for each other,” Khalid said. “They underestimate the power of solidarity.”
Khalid warned that destabilizing one part of a community affects everyone and concluded, “Fear will not be the final word.”
Amran Osman, founder of the non-profit organization Generational Noor, described growing fear among young immigrants.
“I have been here in Lewiston since preschool. I have walked these streets. Lewiston is my home,” Osman said, adding that she recently spent hours searching for her passport out of fear of leaving her home without identification.
Osman said her organization’s office is now empty. “Not because the kids don’t need us, but because they are afraid. Showing up might mean that they won’t make it home. Our children don’t deserve this. No child deserves this,” she said.
Abdi criticized enforcement practices, calling for transparency and due process. “We believe in due process. And we have a process,” she said, emphasizing that constitutional protections apply to everyone. “Nobody should disagree on dignity.”
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline highlighted the city’s history of immigration including French-Canadian immigrants in the 19th century.
“Each generation has made Lewiston stronger,” the mayor said.
Tom Higley, who traveled from Mount Vernon, Maine to attend the rally, said the country desperately needs these immigrants and that they deserve and need support.
The protest reflected the mounting concern over ICE and its recent impact on local communities across the U.S.
Lina Marie Schulenkorf is a Correspondent with Youth Journalism International.
