Maine should never be governed by fear | Column

Published: July 22, 2026

Updated: July 22, 2026

Category: Maine News

Author/Source: Sen. Mattie Daughtry - Guest column

Source: Original Article

Maine should never be governed by fear | Column

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There are moments that leave a permanent mark on a community.

The death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero is one of them.

A son. A brother. A loved one. A member of our Maine community who was not the intended target of an ICE operation, yet lost his life in one. His family is carrying an unimaginable loss, and our state is grieving alongside them. My heart is with everyone who knew and loved Johan. They deserve answers, accountability, and the comfort of knowing that his life mattered.

A memorial for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero at the intersection of Hill and Pool streets in Biddeford on July 14. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

In the days since Johan’s death, many Mainers have reached out asking what our state can do and what protections exist under Maine law. Those are extremely fair questions. While no law can erase this loss, I believe it is important for every Mainer to understand the steps our Legislature took this year to help ensure that our schools, hospitals, homes and local institutions remain places of safety, trust and care.

For generations, Maine has been a place where neighbors look out for one another. We believe in strong communities, local decision making and the idea that public institutions exist to serve the people who rely on them. When people are afraid to report a crime, bring their child to school, seek medical care or ask for help in an emergency, that trust begins to break down. Trust is what allows communities to thrive, and preserving that trust benefits all of us.

The 132nd Legislature passed three laws that help clarify how Maine’s public institutions interact with federal civil immigration enforcement. These laws take effect on July 29, and I want every Mainer to understand what they do.

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The first law helps keep ICE out of local policing. It ensures that Maine law enforcement agencies remain focused on protecting our communities rather than carrying out federal civil immigration enforcement. The law prohibits Maine agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements that deputize local officers as federal immigration agents, prevents the use of Maine jails for civil immigration detention and establishes clear limits on when local resources may be used to support federal civil immigration enforcement. When people trust that local law enforcement is there to protect them, they are more likely to report crimes, cooperate with investigations and seek help when they need it.

The second law helps keep ICE out of our homes. It protects tenants by prohibiting landlords from sharing sensitive personal information, including immigration status, with federal immigration authorities unless they are presented with a valid judicial warrant. Every family deserves confidence that the information they provide to secure housing will be handled with care and protected under the law.

The third law helps keep ICE out of our schools, public libraries and state healthcare facilities. These institutions may require a valid judicial warrant before federal immigration officials access private spaces or confidential information. Children deserve to focus on learning. Patients deserve the ability to seek care. Families deserve to know that the schools, libraries and healthcare facilities they rely on every day are guided by clear legal standards that protect privacy and due process.

Together, these laws reinforce values that have long defined Maine. They uphold due process, protect privacy, strengthen trust in public institutions and provide clarity for the educators, healthcare workers, librarians, municipal officials, landlords and law enforcement officers who serve our communities every day.

The conversations taking place across our state are difficult, and they should be. They ask us to reflect on the kind of Maine we want to build and the responsibility we share to care for one another. I believe Maine is strongest when we meet moments of uncertainty with compassion, fairness and an unwavering commitment to human dignity.

Several hundred people turned out July 14 at Kennedy Park in Lewiston to attend a vigil for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Biddeford the day before. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)

One of the most moving parts of this heartbreaking week has been watching Mainers show up for one another. Across Biddeford and throughout our state, neighbors have gathered to mourn, organized vigils, raised funds, offered meals, embraced grieving loved ones and reminded Johan’s family that they are surrounded by a community that cares. That generosity and compassion are part of what makes Maine home.

If you are able, I encourage you to support the fundraiser established to help Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero’s family with funeral expenses and the cost of bringing him home to his loved ones. I also encourage you to support the Maine Solidarity Fund, which provides direct assistance to immigrant families across our state during times of crisis.

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I am proud to call this state home, and I am proud of the people of Maine who continue to show, through their actions, that we will stand beside our neighbors in times of grief and in times of hope. That is the Maine I know. A Maine rooted in compassion, strengthened by solidarity and never governed by fear.

Mattie Daughtry represents state Senate District 23, Brunswick, Chebeague Island, Freeport, Harpswell, Pownal and part of Yarmouth in the Maine Senate. She also serves as Maine’s Senate president. She can be reached at [email protected] or 207-287-1515.