LEWISTON, Maine – For months, Lewiston residents have packed city council chambers demanding action over shootings, stolen firearms, juvenile violence, drug trafficking, and deteriorating public safety conditions across Maine’s second-largest city.
Residents have and continue to speak emotionally about fear, frustration, and what many describe as a growing sense that parts of Lewiston are slipping out of control. Families have repeatedly voiced concerns about shootings, illegal firearms, drug activity, violence, public disorder, and deteriorating quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the city.
But many residents now say something unusual happened earlier this year when federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the city during “Operation Catch of the Day.”
The shootings appeared to stop.
“People noticed,” one resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told this reporter during Tuesday’s Lewiston City Council meeting. “The city got quieter when ICE showed up.”
The federal immigration enforcement operation targeted what officials described as criminal illegal aliens operating throughout Maine, with Lewiston becoming one of the operation’s major focal points.
Almost immediately, Mayor Carl Sheline, progressive activists, and several city officials publicly erupted in opposition to ICE operations in the city.
Critics say the response from City Hall was swift, emotional, and aggressive — far more aggressive than the response residents say they received after repeated shootings and violent incidents.
But not every city official opposed ICE.
City Councilor Bret Martel has been publicly supportive of federal immigration enforcement, saying he would welcome ICE agents to his own “home for coffee.”
The divide at City Hall has become increasingly clear: some leaders moved to restrict cooperation with ICE, while others argued federal law enforcement may be exactly what Lewiston needs as residents continue demanding safer streets.
The controversy deepened after former Lewiston councilor Safiya Khalid made alarming claims during a city council meeting, suggesting ICE agents were operating alongside Lewiston police officers.
Residents and social media users later pointed out that Khalid had apparently mistaken an animal control officer and a parking enforcement officer for ICE-related activity.
The incident quickly became the subject of widespread criticism and mockery online, with many residents accusing Khalid of spreading misinformation and unnecessarily escalating tensions inside the city.
Critics described the claims as reckless and dangerous, arguing false accusations involving federal immigration enforcement and local police cooperation could easily create panic throughout vulnerable communities already on edge.
The controversy also reignited outrage surrounding the Mogadishu store debate.
When rumors circulated that ICE activity may have involved the Lewiston convenience store, a business critics have publicly associated with allegations of EBT fraud activity, some activists and city leaders immediately mobilized in opposition.
Residents questioned why elected officials appeared quicker to defend a store tied to fraud allegations than residents demanding action over shootings and violence.
Councilor Scott Harriman and Mayor Sheline became leading voices pushing ordinances limiting cooperation between city employees and ICE agents unless explicitly required by law.
Critics called the ordinances political theater designed to protect progressive immigration narratives while residents continued dealing with violent crime concerns.
At the state level, critics say prominent Maine Democrats, including Gov. Janet Mills, gubernatorial candidate Shenna Bellows (D), and congressional candidate Graham Platner (D) have spoken loudly about ICE operations while remaining comparatively silent about shootings and firearm violence impacting Lewiston residents.
For many taxpayers and families living in the city, the issue is no longer simply about immigration policy.
It is about priorities.
Law-abiding residents say they are exhausted by the shootings, violence, and public safety concerns that continue to plague parts of Lewiston. They want the shootings to stop immediately.
For some residents, the visible federal presence during Operation Catch of the Day left a lasting impression.
Several residents who spoke with The Maine Wire said the city appeared calmer during the height of ICE activity, leading some to openly question whether a stronger and more visible federal law enforcement presence in Lewiston may be necessary moving forward.
“People just want the shootings to stop,” one resident said following Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “If having ICE back and more visible in Lewiston helps restore order, then maybe that’s exactly what this city needs.”
Residents say they watched city leaders react with outrage when ICE entered Lewiston, while appearing far less urgent when residents themselves begged for help over shootings, violent crime, and growing public safety concerns.
This reporter has reached out to contacts within ICE leadership and Border Czar Tom Homan regarding these developments, the public safety concerns raised by Lewiston residents. Updates will follow as additional information becomes available.
Now, heading into the 2026 election cycle, many residents are asking a blunt question:
Why did it feel like Lewiston became safer when ICE was in town?
