Since the ICE operation began, many immigrants in Lewiston have opted to avoid school, work and stores so as not to be snatched by federal agents. And even after the surge might have ended, Somali-American immigrant advocate Effrax Saciid-Cisse said,

In Lewiston, Maine's second largest city, a crowd of about 1,000 people turned out on a bone-chilling Saturday afternoon with a message for Immigration and Customs Enforcement: get out of Minnesota and get out of Maine.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins says the surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in her state is going to stop after the agency began an immigration crackdown there last week. But Somali immigrants in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, are still reeling from the ICE operation.

Lewiston leaders Thursday responded with a mix of relief and skepticism to reports that stepped up enforcement by federal immigration agents in Lewiston and Maine was easing.

The mayor also said he received a phone call from a friend who knows someone who was detained Tuesday by ICE agents in the city. Sheline said he has not heard from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Demonstrators, including state leaders and immigrants, said ICE tactics are creating fear and targeting people of color regardless of citizenship status.

The former leader of Maine CDC called federal agents' tactics when detaining residents "dehumanizing" and encouraged audience members to organize and document interactions with ICE.

Hannaford Supermarkets is expanding its footprint in Lewiston, Maine, with plans for a second location at the Lewiston Mall, adding grocery and pharmacy access to a busy retail corridor while maintaining its existing stores at Auburn Spring Street and Lewiston Sabattus Street.

LEWISTON, Maine — As protesters bundled up against frigid cold on Saturday to decry federal immigration enforcement in their state, they also spoke out against ICE’s use of force in Minneapolis, where an agent shot and killed a nurse during a political demonstration earlier in the day.

bon Vivant in Lewiston, Maine, was one of the first restaurants to announce its closure in 2025. The fine dining establishment that opened in 2023 announced on social media in early January 2025 that it would be no more.