Overview
- Gov. Janet Mills announced in a Portland Press Herald op-ed that she will allow LD 1971 to become law without signing it.
- LD 1971 bars Maine officers from arresting or detaining people for immigration purposes and prohibits jails from notifying ICE about detainees, except in specified criminal probes.
- Mills simultaneously repealed a 2011 executive order from Gov. Paul LePage that had promoted enhanced state–federal cooperation on immigration enforcement.
- After holding the bill past the 10‑day window and with the Legislature adjourned sine die, Mills said her only choices were to allow it to become law without her signature or veto it when lawmakers return.
- Sponsor Rep. Deqa Dhalac praised the measure’s trust‑building aims and its carve‑outs for serious crimes, while Maine House Republicans condemned it as a public‑safety risk.