Biddeford council weighs new ordinances to curb ICE operations in city

Biddeford’s city council is reviewing a suite of proposed ordinances designed to reduce the presence and influence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the shooting death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by an ICE officer. City Attorney Harry Center explained that the city cannot prevent ICE from entering, but it can legally decline cooperation, bar the use of municipal resources, and require agents to present warrants.

He cited examples from other Maine municipalities—Lewiston, Rockland, Portland, and South Portland—that have adopted non-cooperation policies, and mentioned Chicago’s zoning restrictions as a model. The new state law LD 1971, effective since July, already limits police from sharing immigration status information, yet it leaves public property open to ICE use. Center suggested that zoning ordinances could eventually prohibit ICE facilities and require signage on private land to deter agency activity. Councilor Abigail Woods welcomed the proposals, saying they could help protect residents who have felt unsafe and disrupted by recent ICE actions in schools and neighborhoods.