Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) has allowed LD 1971, a law barring state police from enforcing federal immigration laws, to take effect without her signature. The legislation will become effective in January after Mills failed to veto it within the required ten-day window.
In an op-ed published Monday, Mills criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for targeting individuals she described as “law-abiding” and accused the federal government of “weaponizing” immigration enforcement. She also repealed a prior executive order that mandated state police cooperation with ICE.
The bill was introduced by Democratic State Representative Deqa Dhalac, a Somali immigrant and Maine’s first Black Muslim woman elected to the state legislature. Dhalac argued that the law would “protect the dignity, due process, and public safety of all who call our state home.”
Maine’s Republican Party has strongly criticized the decision, stating that limiting cooperation between Maine law enforcement and federal authorities “shows a reckless disregard for public safety and will put Maine’s public at risk.” The party warned that the law shields dangerous criminals and hinders law enforcement from protecting residents effectively.
