A brewing stand-off between political protest and law-and-order solidarity is set for Wednesday, as a Republican organizer has called for a counter-demonstration to an anti-ICE rally slated for downtown Scarborough.
Trish Burnell, a U.S. Navy veteran and finance chair of the Denmark, Maine, Republican Town Committee, took to Facebook earlier this weekend to announce she would lead a pro-law enforcement gathering in response to the anti-ICE rally planned by the Scarborough Democratic Committee.
[RELATED: Anti-ICE Rally Planned in Scarborough Amid Immigration Enforcement Debate]
The anti-immigration enforcement rally is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Oct. 8 the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and Lincoln Avenue. Organizers of that event say their aim is to “hold ICE accountable” and press for increased transparency at the Scarborough ICE facility. A flyer promoting the event linked attendance to supporting First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D), who has in recently been strident in her criticism of ICE and it immigration enforcement work.
Burnell, however, framed her counter-gathering as a demonstration of support for law enforcement and immigration authorities. “We need to secure our country. Law enforcement needs our support,” she told the Maine Wire on Sunday via a phone interview. She also strongly criticized Rep. Pingree, accusing the congresswoman of “breaking her oath of office supporting this type of rally.”
When asked about the possibility of rain on Wednesday, Burrell maintained, “I’ll be there rain, or shine, or snow. “Law enforcement needs to know we care about them and support them.”
The public tension comes amid broader debates over local cooperation with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the roles of municipal and county governments in immigration enforcement. The Scarborough facility and the broader presence of ICE in Maine has become a flashpoint in the state’s political discourse. Pingree has accused ICE of not allowing attorneys to visit clients at the Scarbourgh ICE facility.
In two statements to The Maine Wire, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, strongly defended ICE and rebuked Pingree’s remarks.
“Congresswoman Pingree is lying for likes and fundraising dollars,” McLaughlin said. “Any allegation that ICE is blocking illegal aliens from having legal counsel at immigration appointments is FALSE. These types of smears are contributing to our officers facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them.”
McLaughlin also said ICE officers “are enforcing the laws on the books in Congress” and urged rally organizers to “lobby Congress instead of dehumanizing and demonizing our ICE law enforcement who are facing constant doxxing and a 1000% increase in assaults against them.”
Officials at the county level are also watching closely. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce, whose office houses the county jail and maintains cooperative agreements with federal partners, has said his office cannot “pick and choose” which federal laws to enforce signaling his intent to continue cooperating with ICE.
As the Oct. 8 events approach, both sides say they view the demonstrations as a symbolic test of local will. Burnel is encouraging interested participants to follow updates on the Denmark Republican Town Committee Facebook page.
When the rallies unfold Wednesday afternoon, Scarborough’s Main Street corridor could become a stage for national debates about borders, enforcement, civil liberties and whether neighbors in Maine can find common ground on them.
