Maine LD 2106: An Act to Restrict the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records without Proper Judicial Review

I am a retired Emerita Lecturer at the University of Maine. I am writing on my own behalf; I do not speak on behalf of the University of Maine or the UMaine system.  

I have had the honor and pleasure of teaching and mentoring UMaine students for over 30 years. My husband and I have also hosted students in our home in Orono for over 20 years. Many of the students I have taught or hosted have been international students. We have seen firsthand how international students enrich the social, cultural and academic environment of our university, town, and state. When these students return to their countries, they are well prepared to contribute substantially to the people, environment, and institutions of those countries. They also carry with them respect and goodwill for the United States.  Some remain in the U.S. and pursue distinguished careers. Current federal policies have severely damaged the image of the U.S. and will tragically result in fewer international students seeking to study in Maine or elsewhere in the U.S.  This is a loss I deeply regret. 

The cruel, irrational, indiscriminate, violent and, yes, murderous anti-immigrant insurrection orchestrated by the Department of Homeland Security in Maine and around the country is horrific. The ICE agents’ assaults on the rights and invasions of the homes of immigrants and non-immigrant protesters violate fundamental values of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This darkly satiric post by Yale professor Timothy Snyder, author of numerous books including On Tyranny, captures the essence of the dire threat that we, as a democratic nation and state, face.

L.D. 2106 is a timely and effective response to item 10 in Professor Snyder’s “Bill of Wrongs.” But it should be only the first step by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Maine government to check the destructive behavior of ICE.