Immigration Enforcement

Since last week we have been fielding many client questions and requests about the increased federal immigration enforcement in Maine. Federal agents are on the streets of many Maine communities, including Portland and Lewiston. The Department of Homeland Security reports that it has detained 200 people in Maine, and there is widespread discussion of a target number of 1,400 persons. This morning’s news reports that the surge in enforcement may be paused, but ICE and Boarder Patrol will continue enforcing immigration laws in Maine. What this means remains to be seen.

Here are just a few of the issues we are addressing:

• Can ICE enter our facility without a court order?
• What’s the difference between a judicial warrant and an administrative warrant?
• What should be in our response plan?
• What is private property?
• How do we keep our employees safe and comply with federal law?
• Do we have to provide I-9 files immediately?
• Should employees record interactions with ICE on their phones?

We recognize that each client’s approach will be tailored to their organization’s needs. A response plan for a public school will be different than that for a café. While there may be common themes in your response plan, it’s not a case of one size fits all. We have worked with businesses, schools, towns and cities, and non-profits to develop response plans specific to their needs.

The purpose of this Alert is to let you know that our team is available to answer your questions and advise on your immigration enforcement protocols. In addition to Peter Lowe and Hanna Wurgaft, we have Dave Joyce on our team. Dave joined Brann & Isaacson a few months ago and brings 17 years of experience as a federal prosecutor in Maine.

We would be glad to assist you during this challenging time.

Peter Lowe | plowe@brannlaw.com

Hanna Wurgaft | hwurgaft@brannlaw.com

David Joyce | djoyce@brannlaw.com