When law enforcement stops cooperating, public safety pays the price | Opinion

The Pittsfield Police car is pictured in Pittsfield, Maine Friday October 9, 2026 (Rich Abrahamson/Staff Photographer)

Eric Small is chief of police in Sanford, Maine.

When federal immigration agents enter a Maine community to conduct an enforcement operation, they may know who they are looking for. But do they know the community? Do they know the families, social workers or organizations that have spent years building relationships with its residents?

Maine’s local law enforcement officers often do.

After more than 25 years in law enforcement, I have learned that effective policing depends on training, communication, relationships and trust. That experience leaves me concerned about decisions by the state of Maine and certain municipalities to restrict cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Maine’s LD 1971.

I am proud that Sanford’s municipal government chose not to impose additional local restrictions, recognizing the importance of professional judgment and appropriate communication within the law.

Recent deadly force incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, including the July 2026 fatal shooting in Biddeford, have raised serious questions. Let me be clear: This is not a defense of ICE or its actions. I have no firsthand knowledge of those incidents and would never judge an officer’s conduct without examining the evidence. Nor can I claim local police involvement would have prevented a tragedy.

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But I do know what Maine officers bring to difficult situations.

Our full-time officers complete 720 hours of basic training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. They learn constitutional policing, crisis response, professional judgment and appropriate use of force. Equally important, they spend years developing relationships with families, schools, housing authorities, mental health providers and community organizations.

Those relationships matter. An officer who knows a family member, understands someone’s circumstances or has an established connection with a social worker may have opportunities to resolve a dangerous encounter without confrontation. You cannot legislate those relationships into existence. They are earned over years of service.

These concerns are not mine alone. In February, Maine State Police Col. William Ross and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck discussed communication problems surrounding federal immigration operations. Ross described the frustration of having little information about operations occurring in Maine communities.

I recognize that cooperation with ICE raises legitimate concerns within immigrant communities. If residents fear contacting police could expose their families to immigration enforcement, they may hesitate to report crimes or seek assistance. That damages public safety, too.

I am not advocating that local officers independently enforce federal civil immigration law or participate without limits in immigration operations. Constitutional protections, accountability and community trust must remain priorities. But there is a difference between enforcing immigration law and sharing appropriate information, expertise or assistance when lives may be at risk.

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Federal immigration enforcement does not stop simply because Maine restricts local participation. Federal agents will continue operating in our communities, sometimes without the relationships or local knowledge our officers possess.

And when something goes wrong, who responds? Our police officers. Our firefighters. Our emergency medical personnel. We remain after federal agents leave, responsible for the consequences and for maintaining the community’s trust.

Distancing ourselves from federal operations does not necessarily make those operations safer. It may simply remove experienced local professionals who could help prevent dangerous situations from escalating.

Maine policymakers should examine whether existing restrictions allow meaningful coordination when public safety is threatened. That conversation should include law enforcement, emergency responders, immigrant communities and the organizations serving them.

As Sanford’s chief of police, my responsibility is to protect everyone in our community, regardless of immigration status, background or political beliefs. We can demand accountability from federal authorities while recognizing the value of local expertise. We can protect immigrant communities while preserving appropriate communication between agencies.

The question is not whether Maine supports ICE. The question is whether we are making the best use of every responsible public safety resource available to save lives. When lives are at stake, that distinction matters.

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