By Leela Stockley
Bangor Daily News, Maine
PORTLAND, Maine — Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce used a Thursday news conference to condemn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who arrested a corrections recruit, calling them “bush league” for leaving his car running in a Portland street.
The recruit, whom Joyce did not name, was arrested in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood on Wednesday evening. A video that was widely circulated on social media showed agents boxing his vehicle in and removing him from the car as he said he worked for the office.
Joyce’s news conference amounted to the harshest police criticism of the ICE surge into Maine that began on Tuesday under the name “Operation Catch of the Day.” The Democratic sheriff of the county including Portland faced protests over the summer for holding inmates for ICE who are arrested in other states.
He said the arrest of his officer risked a stolen car and stood in contrast to President Donald Trump’s administration claiming that they are targeting criminals. Police have to be tough but also show empathy, he told reporters at his office in Portland.
“I didn’t see any compassion last night,” Joyce said. “They were getting tough, but the compassionate thing would have been to make sure that this kid’s property was taken care of one way or another.”
The recruit applied for a job in late 2024 and passed background checks with a “squeaky clean” record. He had no disqualifying conduct or convictions. Joyce said that the recruit attended a hearing in Texas in November related to his immigration status. Besides going to Texas without fully informing supervisors and some tardiness, the recruit was a good employee, Joyce said.
When the sheriff asked ICE why the recruit was detained, he was told it was because the person was illegally in the country. Joyce did not know if the man was seeking asylum, but Joyce said he had an I-9 work visa allowing him to work in the U.S. until April 2029.
Wednesday marked the second time that a Cumberland County corrections officer has been arrested by immigration authorities since President Donald Trump returned to office last year. In June, agents detained a guard who had applied for asylum, the Portland Press Herald reported. African immigrants have helped fill chronic vacancies at the county jail in recent years, according to the sheriff.
Nearly a year ago, Joyce said he and other sheriffs met with Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” who said ICE’s priorities were securing borders and getting criminal immigrants off the street.
“Clearly, their motives are a little different than what we’ve been told, or at least in this case,” Joyce said.
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BDN deputy investigations editor Callie Ferguson contributed to this report.
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