By Rep. Ellie Sato
It is saddening and disturbing to see the injustices being committed by the federal government against the immigrant community, not just in our state, but across the country. Immigrants here in Maine have contributed much to our economy and communities. Many have escaped violence and persecution and are working to achieve the same goal as those who were born here: to build a better life for themselves and their family.
What we are seeing on our newsfeeds everyday is a lack of due process. Many incidents of immigration enforcement have been conducted without due process, and with a disregard for constitutionally protected rights. As a result, our community members are not going to work, not going to school, and not going to doctor's appointments because of the fear of being disappeared. It harms all of us when a part of our community does not feel safe living their lives freely.
That’s why this session I’m sponsoring legislation, LD 2106, An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review, which would require federal law enforcement to obtain judicial warrants signed by a judge in order to access sensitive locations, including public schools, public health facilities, public libraries, and daycares to conduct immigration enforcement. This legislation would strengthen current constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure by ensuring that due process is being followed here in Maine. It would protect the rights and safety of workers in these facilities as well as those receiving services, including children going to school.
However, protecting our community falls on every one of us. Following the ongoing events in Minneapolis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been increasing their presence here in Maine. It’s critical for everyone to know their rights, and how to respond when raids or arrests happen, both as bystanders, and as friends and family.
Regardless of immigration status, all individuals have rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. You have the right to deny federal agents access to your home, unless they present with you a judicial warrant that has been signed by a judge in a court of law. If detained, you have the right to ask an ICE officer, “Am I free to leave?” You also have the right to remain silent and not answer questions. You can tell an immigration officer, “I choose not to say anything.”
As many of us have seen, exercising your rights won’t guarantee that ICE will respect them. Therefore, it’s important to stay calm, not run away, or resist arrest. For more information, I would encourage you to follow this link to useful resources provided by the ACLU of Maine: https://www.aclumaine.org/preparingforice/.
While it may seem that the focus of immigration enforcement will be in more urban areas of our state, this does not mean that we won’t experience indiscriminate enforcement here in Gorham. We must be prepared. In honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we must remember his sage words; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
You can contact me by email at Ellie.Sato@legislature.maine.gov or by phone at 207-287-1430 if you need assistance navigating state services. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, even just to introduce yourself. I can best represent our community by hearing about the issues you care about.
Rep. Ellie Sato, D-Gorham, is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.