Maine’s 16 county sheriffs met with Gov. Paul LePage at the State House on Monday for what one of them called a “positive and productive” talk that centered on LePage’s recent threats to remove sheriffs who don’t follow his orders to honor federal requests to detain immigrants.
Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said all of Maine’s 16 sheriffs attended Monday’s meeting at the State House, which he said diffused much of the tension that has marked the past two weeks.
“It was good for everyone,” said Merry, a Democrat. “We had some good dialogue and cleared the air on a couple of things.”
In late September, LePage threatened to remove sheriffs who wouldn’t hold inmates past their scheduled release dates when asked to do so by federal immigration authorities. Several sheriffs said they couldn’t hold anyone without a warrant. Sheriffs in York and Cumberland counties announced publicly that they could not comply with detention orders that appeared to contradict their interpretations of constitutional rights.
LePage reiterated his threat to oust noncompliant sheriffs, citing a clause in the Maine Constitution that gives governors the authority to remove sheriffs, who are elected by residents of the counties they serve. The Maine Constitution stipulates that a complaint against a sheriff would have to be lodged before LePage could take action against him.
Merry said Monday that sheriffs and the governor agreed that “if there is a problem, it may have to be dealt with at a different level.” He declined to provide more detail before the release, possibly Tuesday, of a joint public statement from LePage and the Maine Sheriffs’ Association.
Merry said the approximately 45-minute meeting was cordial. LePage’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
