List of Commie businesses in Maine Closing on Friday to virtue signal
Live updates: ICE operation continues in Maine; many local businesses plan to take part in Friday shutdown
Federal officials have claimed 200 arrests since last week and the impacts have rippled out to businesses and schools. How long Maine will see increased ICE presence remains unknown.
Posted 10:08 AM
Staff report
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Jaylee Shropshire-Nsuka (right) and her husband, Delfino Nsuka. (Photo courtesy of Jaylee Shropshire-Nsuka)
After days of mounting pressure, Maine’s senior U.S. Sen. Susan Collins called on the Trump administration Tuesday to pause its immigration enforcement efforts here and in Minnesota, where two protesters have been killed by federal agents. Her statement came on the same day protesters visited her Portland office, which resulted in nine arrests for criminal trespassing.
Maine public schools in areas where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been patrolling have started to to see impacts in the form of decreased attendance and increased anxiety among some students and parents. Portland, which has a large immigration population, is among the school districts considering offering a remote learning option on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile, lawyers are reporting that some clients who have been detained have struggled to get a bond hearing from the U.S. Department of Justice, even though a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that certain immigrants in government custody are entitled to such hearing. Immigration court judges across the country have been instructed to disregard such declarations.
11:45 a.m.: Many Maine businesses will participate in Friday’s nationwide strike
The list is growing of Maine businesses that plan to participate in Friday’s nationwide shutdown in protest of ICE activity.
Arcana yoga and massage studiois one of several Portland businesses that have posted their plans on Instagram in an effort to encourage others to join.
“Hey Folks, we will be closed on Friday 1/30 in Solidarity with the general strike!” the post reads. “Be brave, Be wise, Be aware and please local businesses close in solidarity. This is not like previous actions. This is a well organized national strike. One day of profit is not as important as this historically very effective non-violent action!!!”
Nash & Co., Flatiron Coffee Bar, Another Round, Izakaya Minato, Tandem Coffee & Bakery, Speckled Axe, Sun Oriental Market and Mayhem Portland also have posted plans to be closed in support of the immigrant community and to protest ICE.
The strike,organized at NationalShutdown.us, is billed as “ICE OUT! Nationwide Shutdown! No work. No school. No shopping.”
As part of the shutdown, social media posts show that a protest event is being planned for 3 p.m. Friday at Monument Square in Portland.
But while many local businesses plan to close on Friday, some will remain open because closing isn’t feasible for a variety of reasons, said Amy Landry, board president of Portland Buy Local. Many are reaching out in other ways.
“Whether open or closed, businesses are donating profits, gathering supplies, and volunteering with local nonprofits,” Landry said. “What we’re seeing is that local businesses are supporting our community in ways that feel right to them.”
— Kelley Bouchard
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/28/live-updates-ice-operation-continues-in-maine-advocates-say-efforts-have-slowed-agency-wont-confirm/?link-source=announcement-bar