ICE arrests Maine corrections officer over potential immigration violation

A Cumberland County corrections officer in Maine was arrested Wednesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for allegedly being in the country illegally.

During a press conference on Thursday, Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said ICE apprehended a county officer who had been hired in February 2025 after what he claimed was a “rigorous” vetting process. Joyce confirmed the recruit was an immigrant but was actively attending immigration court to comply with required procedures. He claimed that the I-9 paperwork indicated he was authorized to work in the United States through April 2029.

The sheriff sharply criticized the arrest and the manner in which it was carried out, calling it “disturbing.”

“What's even more disturbing is the comment made by the witness that videotaped this encounter, who said that in the three minutes they got out, they pulled a guy from the car, handcuffed him, put him in the car, they all took off, leaving his car with the windows down, the lights on, unsecure and unoccupied. They left it right on the side of the street. Folks, that's Bush-league policing,” Joyce said.

Joyce also criticized how five agents who apprehended the man and failed to turn off his car upon apprehending him, calling it “Bush-league policing.”

According to Joyce, he was later notified that the officer had been charged with an “ICE violation” and is currently being held in Boston, according to WGME.

“I guess if you’re not the card-carrying US citizen, then you must be illegal because that’s what they told me is he’s illegal, and he’s definitely not a criminal,” Joyce added. This is the second time a Cumberland County corrections officer was detained by ICE. Another arrest happened last April when a jail officer applied to buy a firearm.