📰BIDDEFORD | When ICE comes to Biddeford “What action will you take to protect the safety, dignity, and the rights of the residents of Biddeford if the federal government conducts raids...
- JW Business Solutions LLC
- 5 days ago
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📰BIDDEFORD | When ICE comes to Biddeford
“What action will you take to protect the safety, dignity, and the rights of the residents of Biddeford if the federal government conducts raids and or actions against community members such as the actions we've seen take place in other cities?”
January 15, 2026, Yesterday Governor Janet Mills issued a public statement addressing what her administration believes is about to be an increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel throughout Maine; specifically in the communities of Portland and Lewiston.
While addressing Mainer’s, Governor Mills expressed that she has, “directed the Maine State Police to work closely with local law enforcement as necessary… to provide whatever support is needed in advance of and during any potential Federal Operations”.
But, what does this mean for us here in Biddeford - how will our leaders react and what policies and procedures do they have in place? To be quite honest, after searching for quite some time, we have been unable to locate any policies or procedures from the city regarding current city and statewide concerns pertaining to ICE.
With that being said, this past October a Mayoral Debate was held at the Biddeford High School that was attended by members of the community, city staff, current and past city councilors, the Biddeford Chief of Police, and others.
Approximately 30 minutes into the debate, Sydney Richelieu, a staff writer for the Portland Press Herald, asked a community submitted question to the candidates pertaining to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“What action will you take to protect the safety, dignity, and the rights of the residents of Biddeford if the federal government conducts raids and or actions against community members such as the actions we've seen take place in other cities?”.
Mayor LaFountain’s response to the question can be viewed below, however, please note that we have been unable to find any updated guidance or statements from Mayor LaFountain pertaining to ICE in the Biddeford community since October of 2025.
Mayor Lafountain was elected on November 4, 2025 and sworn in to office on December 2, 2025…. just a reminder… Today is January 15, 2026…
Important to note, when in office this past February, Mayor Martin Grohman issued a public statement to the community regarding ICE.
- - -DISCLAIMER, The mayoral debate hosted in October covered an array of topics and questions submitted both by the community as well as the panelists (Biddeford Gazette, Saco Bay News, and Portland Press Herald). The debate was moderated by Craig Pendleton, the former executive director of the Biddeford+Saco Chamber of Commerce+Industry.