Portland, Maine, city officials are considering an ordinance that would prohibit all municipal employees from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, going further than state law and testing the limits of local resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

Stricter Than State Law

The proposed ordinance extends beyond law enforcement to include all public employees, according to the Portland Press Herald. If the eight-member city council approves the measure at its April 13 meeting, Portland would join Lewiston and Rockland as the third Maine city with restrictions exceeding state requirements. These cities bar employees and city resources from assisting, cooperating with, or facilitating any federal agency in immigration enforcement operations, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. The draft ordinance uses similar language to these existing city-level prohibitions.

All three municipal ordinances would predate Maine’s new state law, LD 1971, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal civil immigration enforcement. Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, allowed the bill to become law without her signature after spending 10 days reviewing it. The law takes effect April 15. Mills wrote in a December 15 opinion piece that while the legislation is imperfect and confuses law enforcement responsibilities, ICE has been weaponized by the president, making the measure necessary.

National Divide Deepens

The Portland proposal reflects a growing national split over 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to partner with ICE. As of April 1, there are 1,604 such agreements nationwide, representing a 16.1 percent increase since February 4. Maine currently has no active agreements, according to ICE. St. Charles County, Missouri signed a new agreement on March 31, while Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania officials said they will not approve any 287(g) partnerships. In Maryland, several sheriffs criticized Governor Wes Moore for signing legislation terminating existing agreements and barring future ones.

Opposition Efforts Fall Short

Idaho lawmakers attempted the opposite approach, seeking to require law enforcement to sign ICE agreements. The state House passed such a bill 41 to 27 on March 6, and the Senate approved a similar measure 37 to 29. However, the legislation failed to advance after senators determined the bill’s process violated Senate rules through a controversial procedure called radiator capping, which replaces entire bill contents with different legislation. Republican Representative Britt Raybould told the Idaho Capital Sun she disagreed with allowing federal override of local law enforcement discretion despite the measure’s passage.