News just broke that federal immigration agents arrested an asylum seeker this week at the Cumberland County Courthouse--literally handcuffing him while meeting with his lawyer.

This is NOT OK -- but the truth is that this isn't an isolated incident. In fact, it happens at the Cumberland County Jail all the time right here in Portland.

Immigration advocates report that ICE agents routinely enter the Cumberland County jail and pull out undocumented immigrants for deportation -- people who may have been charged with something as minor as driving without car insurance.

These may be people who are seeking asylum or working their way toward legalizing their status. They may or may not be guilty of the crimes with which they are charged.

Worse yet, this isn't a serious problem in any other county in Maine. This is 100 percent a Portland problem, because the Cumberland County Jail is closest to the ICE office.

For ICE to go into a courthouse is especially chilling. We cannot have a community where witnesses and victims of violent crimes are afraid to go the courthouse.

And if courthouse officials notified ICE about the asylum seeker's presence in the building, that should be roundly condemned.

As City Councilor Pious Ali, himself an immigrant, said, “Lurking at courthouses to arrest immigrants is shortsighted and not the best way to implement immigration laws. Acts like this will negatively affect the relationship between local law enforcement and the immigrant community and are not in the best interest of our community and city.”

Progressive Portland agrees, and we’re calling on members to take action to make Portland a safer place for our immigrant neighbors.

Please let Sheriff Kevin Joyce and the Cumberland County Commission know that their constituents and taxpayers want this pattern of overreach to STOP. We pay their salaries and elect them to their offices--it’s important that they know how we feel.