ICE Increases Personnel at Scarborough Facility, Pingree Says

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deployed additional personnel to its Scarborough field office to bolster security, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.

The increase in staffing follows reports from local ICE officials to Pingree’s office last week regarding gaps in overnight security at the facility, Maine Morning Star reported.

The move comes as tension increases at the site. ICE officials cited a growing number of protestors, including specifically armed individuals, as the primary reason for the deployment, Pingree said.

While the agency has increased its presence, an unnamed ICE spokesperson declined to confirm the specific number of additional personnel or the exact reasons for the surge, citing operational security and safety concerns. Instead, the spokesperson stated via email that the agency is fulfilling President Donald Trump’s commitment to arrest and deport individuals in the country illegally, specifically mentioning those with criminal records such as murderers and rapists.

ICE increases presence at Scarborough facility amid armed protests

However, the context of these enforcement actions remains a point of intense local debate. During Trump’s second term, the vast majority of individuals held in ICE custody have not had criminal convictions. The agency has also mistakenly detained or questioned hundreds of U.S. citizens, according to documented instances.

The atmosphere surrounding the Scarborough facility has been shaped by recent violence. In July, an ICE operation resulted in the death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Biddeford resident. According to his family and lawyer, Guerrero had a pending asylum case and a valid work permit and was not the intended target of the operation.

“Mainers deserve to know what’s happening in their communities and I’m continuing to monitor the situation closely. Maine has endured too much chaos and violence at the hands of this rogue, unaccountable agency already,” Pingree said.

Following that fatal shooting, protests have become a regular fixture at the Scarborough site. Volunteers now station themselves outside the building to monitor agency operations. On Monday, observers noted the arrival of a new armored vehicle at the facility, and the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition (MIRC) reported receiving several other reports of new vehicles arriving that same day.

“We encourage community members to stay calm and informed,” said Ruben Torres, MIRC’s director of advocacy and policy.

DHS adds security staff at Scarborough ICE facility

The Scarborough site was originally established in 2021 as an administrative facility. Its intended purpose was to handle routine check-ins, and it maintains only three small, short-term holding cells. In recent years, however, the facility’s role has shifted toward more frequent detentions.

While the site was built for administrative tasks, it has become a primary stop for people being detained in multi-state stays, often involving overnight holds. This change alters how immigration enforcement functioned in Maine historically. Previously, ICE typically utilized local jails to hold detainees.

That relationship fractured in January, when ICE pulled its detainees from Maine’s largest jail. The move was described as a rebuke to the local sheriff after he criticized the agency’s detention of one of his employees.

Local residents have responded to the facility's expanding role by calling on Maine’s congressional delegation to review the site and consider alternative locations for detention, a demand that gained momentum following the shooting in Biddeford.