State officers are held accountable. ICE agents are not. | Letter
Former Maine Police Chief Criticizes ICE Agents for Brutal Enforcement Practices
Topsham, Maine – A letter published this week in the Press Herald by Paul Lessard, a retired state police officer and former chief of police of Topsham, has drawn national attention to the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine and beyond.
Lessard, who served 43 years in state and local law enforcement, wrote that he “could not — would not — work with today’s ICE agents.” He argued that the federal agency’s approach to immigrant enforcement is “severe brutality, using poor judgment and haste to meet their mandated quotas.” According to Lessard, ICE agents routinely stop, detain and shoot at moving vehicles—a practice he says is in direct conflict with the standard training given to state, county and municipal officers that shooting at a moving vehicle is not acceptable.
The former Topsham chief’s letter also highlights his experience at the U.S. Border Patrol’s Houlton post on the Maine‑Canada border, where he worked alongside the U.S. Immigration Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “These officers on the border earned the trust of the people they serve,” he wrote. He contrasted that cooperation with what he sees as a “huge contrast” to “elements of today’s U.S. federal law enforcement,” noting that state officers are held accountable while ICE agents are not.
Lessard’s critique extends beyond policy to tone. He says he has witnessed ICE agents using phrases such as “A police officer’s opinion” and “the worst of the worst” in conversations about their enforcement tactics. He also cites the motto “To Serve and Protect” as being “gone out the window” when agents employ quotas and aggressive tactics.
In a more ominous tone, Lessard warned of “future presidential pardons” and drew a chilling comparison between ICE agents and “Nazi Gestapo agents working on the streets of Germany in the 1930s.” “I remember,” he wrote, adding that he “smell[s] future presidential pardons coming.”
The letter, which was posted online via the Press Herald’s “letter to the editor” section, has sparked debate among law‑enforcement officials, immigration advocates, and residents of Maine. While some supporters of stricter enforcement welcome the criticism of what they see as overreach, others have raised concerns about the potential impact on local policing and community trust.
ICE has yet to respond to the letter. The agency’s public affairs office has stated that it remains committed to enforcing federal immigration laws in a manner consistent with the rule of law and human rights. However, the letter’s vivid depiction of ICE’s on‑the‑ground tactics underscores a growing conversation nationwide about the balance between national security, immigration policy, and the rights of individuals.
Lessard’s retirement from the Topsham Police Department in Brunswick and his decades of experience at Maine’s border position him as a seasoned observer of both local and federal enforcement dynamics. Whether his observations will influence policy changes or prompt broader reforms remains to be seen, but the letter has undoubtedly amplified a conversation about accountability, training, and the conduct of federal agents in state communities.
