An Act To Protect Workers In This State By Clarifying The Relationship Of State And Local Law Enforcement Agencies With Federal Immigration Authorities

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mana Abdi and 9 co-sponsors

LD 1971 bans certain state/local law enforcement cooperation with ICE to protect workers, risking DPS federal funding (~$14M) if grant terms clash.

Became Law without Governor's Signature

#immigration #legalservices #locallawenforcement

Title and Purpose

Bill: LD 1971

Official Title: An Act To Protect Workers In This State By Clarifying The Relationship Of State And Local Law Enforcement Agencies With Federal Immigration Authorities

Purpose: To clarify and restrict the relationship between Maine state/local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, with the aim of protecting workers in the state. The bill would prohibit certain activities that involve collaboration with federal immigration enforcement.

Key Provisions (as described in the fiscal note)

The bill prohibits certain activities between state/local law enforcement agencies and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The exact prohibitions are defined in the bill text.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) receives federal grants that include terms and conditions requiring cooperation with immigration enforcement. If the bill’s prohibitions conflict with those grant terms, the state could face reductions or elimination of federal funding.

The fiscal note identifies a potential impact on federal funding, noting that the relevant grants total approximately $14 million.

Fiscal Implications

Fiscal Note (approved 06/10/2025): Indicates a potential current biennium revenue decrease from the Federal Expenditures Fund.

The main fiscal risk is any conflict between the bill’s prohibitions and the terms of existing federal grants received by DPS. Reduced or eliminated federal funding could affect the agency’s operations or programs funded by those grants.

Who Is Affected

State and local law enforcement agencies in Maine (including DPS).

Federal immigration authorities (ICE) with whom state/local agencies may interact.

Workers in Maine, particularly immigrant workers, who could be indirectly affected by changes in enforcement practices and cooperation with federal authorities.

Entities receiving the Department of Public Safety’s federal grants (potentially affected by funding changes).

Procedural History and Timeline

Introduced: May 13, 2025

Committee: Judiciary

Key Committee Actions: Work session June 9, 2025; committee amendment A (H-751) adopted June 17, 2025.

Legislative Action:

June 17–18, 2025: Bill advanced through House and Senate readings, with multiple roll calls. In concurrence, amendments adopted; the bill was “PASSED TO BE ENACTED” (in concurrence) and sent forthwith.
June 18, 2025: Senate/House actions completed with votes recorded (various yeas/nays).

Status: HELD BY THE GOVERNOR as of July 8, 2025.

Additional notes show successive readings and concurrence steps through mid-June 2025, culminating in a governor’s hold.

Context and Next Steps

The bill, pending gubernatorial action, would become law if signed by the Governor or if overridden/elsewise enacted per Maine’s constitutional process.

If enacted, the state would need to ensure compliance with the new prohibitions, while monitoring federal grant terms to avoid reductions in funding (notably the roughly $14 million in DPS grants).

If you’d like, I can compare LD 1971 to prior Maine immigration enforcement measures or draft a quick plain-language FAQ for affected communities.

Bill