WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) vehemently denounces the Trump administration’s escalating raids in Maine, which indiscriminately target Black and brown immigrants and resettled former refugees. By targeting rooted and thoroughly vetted families, federal agents are interrogating and intimidating Somali and African-born people to fuel an agenda of mass deportation—violating people’s Fourth Amendment Constitutional rights in the process.

In the backdrop of these operations, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the President continued his dehumanizing hate speech against Somali communities and doubled down on policies of cruelty. This comes amid the administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, affecting more than 3,500 people—a majority of whom reside in Minnesota and Maine—and a ban of immigrant visas for nationals from 75 Black-, Brown-, and Muslim-majority countries.

Said Mufalo Chitam, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition (MIRC) executive director, “It is truly heartbreaking to see the loss of safety and security in our small Maine state at the hands of lawless federal agents. Our immigrant community is filled with fear and despair—but as an organization, we are prioritizing their rights and safety while providing them with detention support resources through the hotline.”

Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “The scenes and reports coming out of Maine are terrifying. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is indiscriminately racially profiling Mainers. These attacks in our communities are made possible, in part, by this administration’s use of hate speech, which has rendered white nationalist policy-making, ignited campaigns of terror against Somali-born people that continue in Minnesota, and threatened the Constitutional rights of every person in America.”

“In the face of chaos, confusion, and a potential constitutional crisis, we hope to see courage and conviction from all Mainers as they peacefully assemble and observe in support of their neighbors. We are heartened to see Governor Mills demand accountability from DHS, and encourage all local leaders in Maine to defend their communities.”

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 88 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.