Mabel Wadsworth Center

01/26/2026

We have a chance to help stop the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at their root.

Much of the ICE escalation is being funded by money taken from health care as part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill". Now the Senate is scheduled on Tuesday to vote on the spending bills that passed in the House last week, including $64 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and immigration enforcement.

The bill needs 60 votes to pass and Senate Democrats have vowed to vote ‘no’ if the DHS funding is included, which means our Maine delegation are critical votes.

Click the link in our comments to send them an email, or call their offices: Senator Angus King: (202) 224-5344 and Senator Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523.

01/25/2026

Heads up folks--due to the snow in the forecast, we will be moving to remote tomorrow (Monday 1/26)! If you are scheduled for an appointment with us, you'll receive a call from our staff to either reschedule or move to a telehealth appointment.

Stay warm and safe!

01/23/2026

The wonderful folks at Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) have amazing resources for immigrants, including supports regarding detention.

01/22/2026

Important reminder: OFI and MaineCare staff do not make unannounced home visits or offer in-home help with benefits, including MaineCare, SNAP, and TANF.
MaineCare, SNAP, and TANF Eligibility assistance is available:
• By phone: Monday–Friday, 7:00AM–4:00PM (1-855-797-4357)
• Online: MyMaineConnection.gov
• In-person: At your local DHHS office, Monday–Friday, 8:00AM–4:00PM
Please share this message to spread the word!📣

01/22/2026

Today, January 22nd, 2026, marks yet another day of ICE terrorizing communities across the United States and, specifically, here in Maine. It also marks the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, an essential SCOTUS ruling that protected abortion access to a limited degree on a federal level. We are now a little over 3.5 years out from losing that federal protection, and while we have state-level protections for abortion here in Maine, bans and restrictions harm many across the country.

You may be wondering what ICE terror has to do with the Roe-versary. In the words of the great poet Staceyann Chin (and many other activists), "All oppression is connected." The system and government that seeks to restrict the autonomy of pregnant people is the same that terrorizes immigrants, Black people, Indigenous folks, and other people of color. And, of course, those being terrorized by government agencies like ICE also includes people who seek abortions.

Another connection between these topics is the concept of "legality." We've seen many claim that ICE is "just doing their job," that people, "have nothing to worry about if you're here legally." We condemn this attitude. Just as abortion is a moral good regardless of its legal status, terrorizing and disappearing people because of where they were born or the color of their skin is reprehensible, even if it is legal. We actually don't believe people should be required to fill out paperwork in the perfect order at the perfect time, as determined by those with privilege, to be safe in their communities. Additionally, we know that both citizens and immigrants who "did it right" are also being targeted and harmed by ICE.

"You know how my ancestors became American citizens? They were white and they got on a boat in Europe, and then they got off a boat in the colonized land we now call the US. That's really all it took for them to become 'legal' citizens. I don't understand why my ancestors should be special." -Aspen Ruhlin, Mabel's Community Engagement Manager

People deserve to be safe in their communities. They deserve access to the care they need with compassionate providers who honor their autonomy. They deserve the right to drop their children off at school or buy groceries without fear of harassment, assault, or kidnapping by federal agents. People deserve these things regardless of their immigration or citizenship status, and frankly, anyone who disagrees has bought into white supremacist and fascist beliefs. Anyone, whether they are a politician or a regular civilian, who agrees with the actions of ICE and the terror they inflict is endorsing racialized violence. Immigrants do not make our communities unsafe—ICE does. ICE is not welcome, in Maine or anywhere else.

01/21/2026

With increased ICE activity in Maine, it's crucial for us all to know our rights. Join us on Wednesday for a live training with legal experts to learn more and be prepared. Register at ACLUMaine.org/events

01/20/2026

We love having good news to share!

01/16/2026

Thank you to our friends at ACLU of Maine for sharing this important resource. We all deserve safety in our communities.

As ICE continues to expand operations throughout the country, it's crucial that all Maine residents understand their rights and know what resources are available.

View our quick reference guide, created alongside Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) and Maine Law, and see all of our Know Your Rights materials at ACLUMaine.org/PreparingForICE

01/15/2026

Hey all--heads up that we will be closed on Monday 1/19/26 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

01/14/2026

Gender-affirming care is essential. Like all care, it is not one-size-fits-all, and different people have different needs regarding it. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving, life-sustaining care. For cisgender people, those who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, this care is normalized--such as with cis men taking testosterone for hypogonadism or minoxidil for pattern baldness. There is no moral pearl-clutching over these examples.

Trans people, those who are a different gender than what they were assigned at birth, are not treated with the same dignity by those in power, whether we're talking about accessing gender-affirming care specifically or merely existing. It is not surprising when powerful people and institutions with hate in their heart target marginalized communities, but it is enraging nonetheless. It is, frustratingly, heartbreakingly, right in line with the fascist playbook to not only target access to gender-affirming care for trans people, but for trans youth in particular. In our society, children are an oppressed class with limited rights, relegated in many ways to being the property of their parents. Those that are lucky have parents that love them and recognize them as people learning the rules of being a person. They have parents that honor their autonomy in a developmentally-appropriate way (yes, you can grow your hair out; no, don't eat that slug).

Attacks on gender-affirming care, particularly for youth, have nothing to do with safety concerns and everything to do with control. Research has found again and again and again that the spectrum of gender-affirming care is safe, effective, and improves both long- and short-term health outcomes. The history of gender-affirming care is much longer than most people realize--few today know of the N**i book burnings that targeted Magnus Hirschfeld's Institute of Sexology and research on transgender people and gender-affirming care.

Attacks on trans rights, including access to gender-affirming care for trans youth, are unconscionable, and we will not stand for it. Trans people have always been here, and always will be.

01/13/2026

01/13/2026

Renee Good should still be alive. Keith Porter should still be alive. Silverio Villegas González should still be alive. Every person who has lost their life at the hands of ICE or any violent government institution deserved a full life.

We do not have Reproductive Justice when anyone in our community or our country has to fear being disappeared, assaulted, or killed by ICE. Renee, Keith, and Silverio were all parents, and their murders are all heartbreaking examples of the United States government routinely violating the basic right to parent our children in safe and sustainable communities. We can not do that if we are dead. Outside of being parents, they were people who deserved autonomy and full lives not cut short by fascist violence.

Another trait that Renee, Keith, and Silverio shared is that they were all older than the institution of ICE itself, which was only created in 2003. A long-standing institution that causes harm should also be dismantled, of course, but it is painfully clear that ICE is not an agency we have ever needed. The institution exists primarily to terrorize immigrants and anyone that ICE racially profiles. They have always been violent and brought harm to communities, regardless of who was sitting in the Oval Office in the 23 years of their existence.

Renee, Keith, Silverio, and many more should still be with us. They deserved better. Their families deserve better. Our communities are safer without ICE.