To the Editor:

In recent weeks, over 150 residents across Norway, Paris, and Oxford County signed petitions urging local law enforcement not to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement without due process.

Residents of Oxford Hills are calling on our selectboards, police departments, County Sheriff, and county commissioners to stand up for community safety and constitutional rights. ICE collaboration has led to unnecessary deportations, broken families, and widespread fear, especially among our immigrant neighbors. These practices are often unconstitutional, and they erode public trust.

Our towns should not be in the business of enforcing federal immigration law. We ask local law enforcement to focus on keeping all residents safe, not assisting ICE unless there is a judicial warrant for someone accused of a crime.

Immigrants are a vital part of our community, but many live in fear that any interaction with local police could lead to deportation. Studies show that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens, yet they often face harsher consequences when their constitutional rights are ignored.

We urge local and county government and law enforcement to refuse to enter into any agreements with ICE involving arrests or deportations without due process. We also ask that if any such agreements are considered, they must be shared with the public before they are signed or implemented.
Residents across Oxford County have spoken. We ask our elected officials and law enforcement leaders to listen and act in the interest of justice, transparency, and community safety.

Concerned Citizens of Oxford County

Tobie Akerley Gordon

Paris