A coalition of pro-illegal immigrant nonprofits established a Maine hotline last week for people to report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to warn illegal immigrants of law enforcement activities.
“It’s about staying informed, connected and ready to act together. When ICE shows up, we show up too — not with fear but with solidarity. This hotline is a step towards the community we all deserve, one rooted in trust, care and collective defense,” said the Presente! Maine pro-illegal immigrant non-profit director Crystal Cron during a press event on Thursday.
“The Maine ICE Watch Hotline is a lifeline for families, a bridge for neighbors and a promise that no one in our community will face fear alone,” Portland City Councilor Pious Ali said at the event.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, where Somali-born Maine State Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland) serves as vice president, established the hotline in collaboration with the People’s Coalition for Safety and Justice, an organization made up of left-wing non-profits that advocate on a variety of issues, including illegal immigration.
According to the Maine Morning Star, which attended the Thursday press event, the Maine ICE Watch hotline is meant to provide people with real-time information on ICE and Border Patrol activities.
Illegal immigrants would then be able to use the information on ICE locations to evade law enforcement.
The Immigrants’ Rights Coalition’s webpage for the hotline reminds illegal aliens that they can record interactions with immigration authorities and urges them to email the nonprofit their photos and videos of ICE agents.
The non-profit does warn that revealing the identities of ICE agents could put them at risk.
“Everyone in the United States has the constitutional right to record public officials, including immigration or law enforcement officers, as long as doing so does not interfere with their duties. Your first priority, however, should be to do no harm. Please note that exposing someone’s identity could put them at greater risk,” says the non-profit.
The non-profit received $1,982,237 in taxpayer-funded grants in 2023, according to their most recent 2023 Form 990 tax filing.
The hotline’s page also provides a variety of links and resources for illegal immigrants.
The hotline has reportedly amassed over 150 volunteers who are trained to take calls and either confirm or refute reports of ICE sightings. When the hotline receives a call, it is passed to the volunteer “regional verifier response group.”
If a sighting is verified, the hotline will send out an alert via text or social media, allowing illegal immigrants to evade ICE agents and potentially putting enforcement operations at risk. Volunteers are also trained to observe ICE operations to gather more information.
The hotline’s volunteers will then track any detainees and connect them with legal support.
It bears significant similarities to the ICEBlock app that encouraged users to report sightings of ICE agents.
That app was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores after Attorney General Pam Bondi warned that the app was designed to place federal agents at risk.
“ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed,” said Bondi, speaking to Fox News.
“This Department of Justice will continue making every effort to protect our brave federal law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe,” she added.
