[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6197436,"mediaKeyId","3852878-76889e344594d8ec434f73264f14e808","parentId",3852878,"title","Hundreds press Cumberland County commissioners to end cooperation with ICE; commissioners schedule follow-up meeting","audioSeconds",3830,"startMs",1195000,"endMs",5025000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3852878-76889e344594d8ec434f73264f14e808&start=1195&end=5025","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3852878-76889e344594d8ec434f73264f14e808/thumbnail_1195000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6197436/Cumberland-County/Maine/Hundreds-press-Cumberland-County-commissioners-to-end-cooperation-with-ICE-commissioners-schedule-follow-up-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6197436-c5e8ec78686472fb69d905e243b5e759/orig.mp4?Expires=1773721500&Signature=M2NwJ01udG8byW3hYREU6YNKvI-Qweo9w8MYM4c1MP8mSep0nM4TdEuVfQtKt56aXctED0YH1OG-L5KqEl6~oYuCibv01Uvv17qUnwyyfgVyWjWHdtzjJNkmAj~3MmWWXLWWPlAe0nK-ZYx-YhL4~NTmovGeGnnZkJ3RTLzYN8bMumU173Xx6RqDJ79PNCg61G6gGNU9LLpjvaOtMOUX7S4zyX6qa6AuYbRUa9e7Y20SW~19laqmZ7i0Npg4E2zaGgBtnw5XVZVA0fbtuUV0K6wUWn~oseGbXMSQMNzl4ivA93SXLdWecU~gPifk2e-kluej-tZnzSnZ6AB~LJxQfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-17T21:01:59.513Z","article","Hundreds of residents and supporters told Cumberland County commissioners on June 16 that the county should end all cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying recent detentions have terrified immigrant communities and eroded trust in public safety.

Speakers at a lengthy public-comment period included community organizers, teachers, nonprofit leaders and people who said they had themselves been detained. Todd Kriesch, who identified his address in Portland, urged the commission to ‘‘sever the relationship between ICE and the Cumberland County Jail’’ and said representatives of a coalition would meet with commissioners and the sheriff on July 9 to ‘‘concretize and move forward’’ on demands.

Many speakers tied personal and community harm to local holding of federal detainees. Peach Cushing said the group had a petition with signatures (her remarks included the number ‘‘800’’ while passing a petition to officials) and told the commissioners, ‘‘You have something you can do to stop it. End our cooperation.’’ Other speakers described children and students afraid to go to school, workplaces and food programs because of ICE activity.

Sheriff Joyce responded at length, saying county law enforcement does not conduct immigration enforcement and noting longstanding practice of taking federal detainees under federal authority. He told commissioners, ‘‘Today, we have 60 ICE inmates and another 33 federal inmates for other charges’’ and urged caution before cutting off federal agency use of the jail, pointing commissioners to a statute he cited as ‘‘30 4 54.’’ Joyce said the sheriff’s office does not screen detainees for immigration status, that he is ‘‘elected to make sure that public safety in the Cumberland County was held,’’ and that county facilities have housed federal detainees under contracts for decades.

Speakers highlighted legal, moral and fiscal concerns. Legal advocates said a pattern of detentions without probable cause has produced lawsuits; Shelby Layton, a speaker who noted ongoing litigation involving the sheriff’s office, said holding large numbers of ICE detainees ‘‘spreads already understaffed officers thin’’ and increases liability and operational risk. Medical and education workers said students are experiencing nightmares and families are skipping meals out of fear.

Commissioners responded acknowledging the breadth of community concern. Commissioner James said he would study whether changes to housing or transfer practices could keep detainees closer to local courts and judges, noting habeas corpus and local judicial oversight as possible mitigants. Commissioners scheduled a follow-up meeting for July 9 with coalition representatives and sheriff’s office staff to explore options; no formal vote or motion to sever contracts occurred at the meeting.

Ending: The county did not adopt any formal policy change during the session. Commissioners said they will hold a July 9 meeting with advocacy groups and county staff to review legal obligations, public-safety implications and potential administrative options; speakers said they intend to continue attending meetings until the county ends cooperation with ICE.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025.06.16 BOCC Cumberland Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Large public turnout urged commissioners to terminate Cumberland County's contracts and cooperation with ICE after reports of recent detentions. Speakers described fear in immigrant communities; Sheriff Joyce defended existing practices and cited statutory obligations. Commissioners agreed to further study and meet with advocates on July 9.","taxTitle","Cumberland County, Maine","taxId",2576,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6197441,"Cumberland County jail visitors report steady census, recommend perimeter cameras and facility upgrades",648,128000,776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3852878-76889e344594d8ec434f73264f14e808&start=128&end=776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3852878-76889e344594d8ec434f73264f14e808/thumbnail_128000.jpg","/articles/6197441/Cumberland-County/Maine/Cumberland-County-jail-visitors-report-steady-census-recommend-perimeter-cameras-and-facility-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6197441-ed82cf29893958b24285796f0c074c86/orig.mp4?Expires=1773721501&Signature=axtpfTfR5m9w4H1UzSQgx~ZcieNy4Vazyk2HLFFuPrkj5hOhbZQ62EVWSQAuTZusrfXAiNBD~Cx~WxQHfBHLVCt5h1qXXaOFYPPkUMLbx53l-huycsuepjzWJGXOVJ331gcGQjaqYb8KIAsEWNtUUSEKK-CRNnRcI65NtufMqzJepHV68QKmcNm25N40hFbMLjXJXpnAi8R3rCeeImXnhOZgXK22t8kfKzjy~PNCDLUiyCL65HdRj9dFkMDYRzHhCUMruGFzj3klfEiDwAVzI15CFj2P6Fxs35bUv9ObFNYucOUMxJ~TB9hk0Nxr31LCcmo0OFrVCIULexllJhBjAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colleen Hilton, chair of the Cumberland County Jail Board of Visitors, told county commissioners on June 16 that the jail ‘‘is the largest county jail in Maine’’ and that board inspections found no immediate safety issues but did produce several recommendations for improvements.

The report said the jail is rated to hold 570 inmates, with an average daily census of ‘‘about 386,’’ a figure Hilton attributed in part to staffing levels. She told commissioners the board found the county’s partnership with Armor Health — led locally by Kyle Manahan, and staffed with psychiatric and nursing personnel — important to managing behavioral-health needs inside the facility.

Hilton also reported that federal detainees held under contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement averaged 54 in 2024 and that the jail was ‘‘approximately around a 100’’ federal detainees at the time of the report.

The board described several recurring items of concern and recommendations. Those included adding surveillance around the jail perimeter to address transient activity, upgrading locker-room space for correctional staff to store evolving equipment, continued weekly meetings between security and mental-health staff to manage at-risk detainees, and phased replacement of beds to reduce ligature risks.

‘‘We do need additional surveillance … around the perimeter of the jail,’’ Hilton said, and she praised efforts to diversify and train the corrections workforce. Hilton provided an annual grievance count of roughly ‘‘291 grievances per year’’ and said staffing and recruitment had improved relative to past years.

Hilton noted the scale and cost of proposed bed replacements. She referenced an estimate of ‘‘$150,000 per bed’’ and discussed doing replacements one ‘‘pod’’ at a time; a pod was described as one of three cloverleaf housing units, typically 84 beds (some split into 42/42). The board recommended a phased approach to limit immediate capital impact.

Commissioners asked follow-up questions about workforce morale measurement and multilingual staffing. Hilton said the board and sheriff’s office have emphasized trauma-informed care and cultural-awareness training; she added that a recent cohort of about 10 new correctional officers included many multilingual hires. Sheriff Mark Joyce (identified in the meeting transcript as Sheriff Joyce) discussed operational challenges in communications when staff revert to native languages during stressful incidents and said the office is considering radio-assignment strategies to aid identification and response.

The board reiterated its statutory role in inspecting the jail and forwarding recommendations to the commissioners. Hilton closed by commending corrections staff and offering to take questions or defer to jail leadership for technical detail.

Commissioners then moved to the next agenda items, including a notice of renewal for the county’s SHAPE safety and health award; no formal vote on capital upgrades was recorded at the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners asked the board and sheriff to continue work on staffing, training and equipment plans; Hilton and the board of visitors planned to keep the commissioners apprised of progress and any specific capital requests.","The Cumberland County jail board of visitors presented its annual report to commissioners on June 16, noting the facility’s capacity, average daily census, federal detainee counts and recommendations including added perimeter surveillance and bed upgrades.","actionData","errors"]

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Hundreds press Cumberland County commissioners to end cooperation with ICE; commissioners schedule follow-up meeting

Cumberland County jail visitors report steady census, recommend perimeter cameras and facility upgrades