Maine law enforcement says LD 1971 narrows only final immigration referrals; cites poor federal pre‑briefing on recent operation

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sostra and Colonel William Ross of the Maine State Police told the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Oversight that the state is implementing LD 1971 in a way that preserves routine law‑enforcement activity while restricting the narrow act of referring individuals to federal immigration authorities.

The briefing on civil‑rights protections and the department’s response to a recent federal ‘surge’ operation emphasized training and policy. Commissioner Sostra described the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s 18‑week basic program and stand‑alone civil‑rights officer training, and he noted that the Board of Trustees issues 17 baseline minimum standards for law enforcement agencies, including use‑of‑force and hate‑bias protocols.

“We found that roughly 63 contacts were made with immigration authorities during the 9½‑month reporting window, and immigration responded in 59 instances,” Sostra said, presenting compiled reports across agencies. “That represents about 0.05 to 0.1 percent of our overall calls for service in that period. LD 1971 changes that final referral step, not the core of policing or officer‑safety backups.”

Colonel Ross described planning before the weeklong operation that the public and media labeled a large federal enforcement action. He said state police and local partners established a unified command to provide deconfliction and stand ready to deploy resources to assist local agencies, but that federal planners did not brief state and local leaders in advance.

“We did not receive an operational plan from the federal government,” Ross said. “We reached out, provided command contact information and asked to be included; we received no call back. We prioritized deconfliction so multiple agencies would not arrive on scene unaware of one another’s actions.”

Committee members probed operational details and consequences. Sen. Jeff Timberlake asked whether routine officer‑safety backup would change; Sostra and Ross repeatedly said officer‑safety responses and non‑immigration criminal investigations remain unaffected. Sen. Jill Dusan and others pressed for how the state would investigate reported civil‑rights violations arising from federal operations; the panel explained the referral pathways to the Attorney General’s office, the Department of Justice and the FBI for civil‑rights investigations when warranted.

The briefing also addressed public concern about whether state resources or data had been used in coordination with federal immigration enforcement; the presenters said they found no evidence of state participation in proactive immigration enforcement during the events under review.

What happens next: the committee accepted the briefing and asked for follow‑up questions in writing. The presentation documented the department’s current practices for civil‑rights reporting, training, and referrals and flagged the communication gap with federal partners as a central vulnerability to be remedied.

Quote: “Ninety‑nine point nine percent of the work you do will not change,” Commissioner Sostra said, “but that last referral to immigration will no longer be something we make.”

Ending: Committee members indicated they may request additional documentation and written responses about federal‑state communication and any pending referrals; witnesses said they would supply follow‑up materials if requested.