WELLS – The Wells Police Department is suspending its agreement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials, citing a state bill that, if passed, would forbid such agreements.

“I have decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach regarding the credentialing of Wells Police officers under the 287 program,” Wells Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam told the Select Board Tuesday.

Putnam was referring to section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It allows ICE “to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight,” according to ICE’s website.

The section was the subject of an executive order by the Trump Administration earlier this year. The order instructed ICE to use the section to encourage local law enforcement agencies to assist ICE “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” 

Critics have charged that the administration is trying to enlist local law enforcement to help implement aggressive federal policies targeting immigrants for deportation.

Wells police signed an agreement with ICE under the section on April 2. To date, it had been the only police department in Maine to sign such an agreement.

A bill before state lawmakers, LD 1259, would forbid Wells or any other law enforcement agency in Maine from forming such an agreement with federal immigration enforcement authorities.

Putnam told selectmen the bill was the reason she was suspending the agreement.  

“This decision reflects the need to see how the legislation ends up playing out in Augusta,” she said.

Putnam also addressed criticism of such agreements and her department, saying, “At no point was there ever any intent on doing proactive immigration enforcement.”