Roughly a dozen protesters gathered on the Aroostook River bridge in Presque Isle early Friday afternoon to protest the recent surge of arrests and tactics used by federal immigration agents in Maine and Minnesota.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement escalated operations in Maine this week, so far mostly in southern parts of the state. The presence of agents has inspired fear and division among Mainers, and the Aroostook protest is among the latest demonstrations.
The protesters carried signs bearing such messages as “Greed, hate and fear cannot win” and “ICE out for good” to passing cars on the busy stretch of Route 1, some of which honked supportively. A passenger in one passing truck rolled down their window and yelled, “We love ICE.”
Rev. Diane Langworthy, pastor of the United Parish Church in Fort Fairfield, said she felt a moral obligation to stand against the actions of federal immigration agencies, which have ramped up their presence in Maine this week under what President Donald Trump’s administration has dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day.”
“It’s always important to stand beside other people,” Langworthy said. “If you’re a Christian, and I’m a pastor, you have to be willing to stand beside vulnerable people. And so that’s why we’re here, because we care.”
Andrew Levesque of Caribou, who was also at a larger anti-ICE protest held in front of Sen. Angus King’s office in Presque Isle two weeks ago, stood behind a large sign bearing the word “solidarity.”
“We’re all for immigration reform, but this isn’t the way to do it,” Levesque said. “There’s a time to take a stand and a time is now. People don’t need to be treated like animals.”