ICE conducts targeted enforcement operations in Portland, Maine

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted recent targeted enforcement operations in Portland, Maine, resulting in the detention of several individuals.

In one incident, two individuals were apprehended by ICE agents in a parking area adjacent to the Cumberland County courthouse. An ICE spokesperson described the arrests as part of a “targeted enforcement operation,” noting that both individuals had entered the country legally approximately 10 years ago but had overstayed their authorized stays. One of the detained individuals faced prior indictments for theft.

In a separate incident, Debora Kapisha, a Zambian asylum seeker and registered nurse at Maine Medical Center, was detained during a security screening at the Portland International Jetport. Her attorney stated she was apprehended after being told her luggage required inspection in a separate room where agents were waiting. While ICE has accused Kapisha of overstaying a visa set to expire in November 2024, she was recently ordered to be released from custody following a federal court challenge. Immigrant advocates report that at least five people have been detained at the jetport over a two-week period.