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“Every morning, I pray that God protect me and protect all of us,” an asylum seeker from Angola told our RFA corps member and religion reporter Sean Scott, “because we can do nothing about it.” She was referring to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, and the fear that is rippling through Maine communities.
One place that is playing out is in churches, which have reported declining attendance among immigrants since January, when Trump rescinded a policy that barred ICE agents from making arrests at sensitive locations like churches and schools. So far there have been no such arrests at churches in Maine, but faith leaders told Sean they're making plans for what to do if federal agents show up on their doorstep. Some are also helping to launch a program that will document and verify ICE activity across the state.
You can read the details in his story below. Also this week: reporting on a “water battery” proposed in western Maine; an update on the school budget in Lisbon; and a close look at Maine's move to transition special education services for preschoolers from the state to local school districts — where demand was much higher than expected.
And, if you haven't heard, we're thrilled to announce that we're partnering with NOTUS to support a D.C. correspondent who will report on Maine’s congressional delegation starting this fall. If you have questions you want them to answer, please get in touch.
— Stephanie |
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How Maine churches are reckoning with fear of immigration raids
Faith leaders are working to set up protocols for interacting with federal agents and ensuring immigrants know their rights, as well as helping to launch an ICE Watch initiative.
Read this story by Sean Scott |
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Maine public schools are starting to provide special education to preschoolers. Demand is high: As more districts prepare to take over services for three- to five-year-olds with disabilities, a pilot program shows positive results and steep challenges ahead. Read this story by Lana Cohen |
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Angst over Maine’s high property taxes hampers efforts to make them fairer: Many Maine municipalities are doing their first revaluations since the pandemic boom in home values, making residents concerned about taxes. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor |
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“Water battery” proposed in western Maine: A primary goal is to boost resilience by putting power onto the grid at times when other renewable resources aren’t generating electricity. Read this story by Julia Tilton |
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After two school budget failures, Lisbon offers voters only a small cut: School committee members say opponents have cited few specifics, while a prominent politician is vowing to keep fighting the district on it. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor |
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Maine Monitor partnering with NOTUS to support D.C. correspondent covering Maine delegation
The correspondent will be the first to cover Maine’s delegation for a Maine newsroom in more than 15 years.
Read this announcement |
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Have feedback or a correction to send to Stephanie McFeeters? Send it to her directly via email: stephanie@themainemonitor.org.
The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support. |
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