Khmer Maine Statement on ICE Arrest of Cambodian Man at Portland Workplace
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2026
STATEMENT ON ICE ARREST OF CAMBODIAN MAN AT PORTLAND WORKPLACE
PORTLAND, MAINE — Khmer Maine and its partners are aware that a member of the Cambodian community was arrested at his workplace in Portland on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at approximately 9:00 AM by federal immigration agents. Khmer Maine and our partners are monitoring the situation closely.
We have identified the family impacted by this detention and are in direct contact with them. The individual is represented by an immigration attorney. Khmer Maine is mobilizing resources to support them in the days ahead, and to support Cambodian and Asian communities across Greater Portland who are absorbing the fear this incident has caused.
“Khmer Maine stands against indiscriminate immigration arrests and detention and calls on our Congressional delegation to defund ICE and end mass deportations,” said Marpheen Chann, Executive Director of Khmer Maine. “Cambodian families came to Maine to escape the Khmer Rouge. We work in many of Maine’s iconic industries, pay taxes, and have built homes and families. ICE is hurting Maine’s local economy and making our communities feel less safe.”
In the coming days, Khmer Maine will work to ensure there is a full and transparent accounting of the basis for this arrest, immediate access to legal counsel, and the ability of this man’s family to know where he is being held and to communicate with him. We will also be working with community and legal partners to host Know Your Rights trainings for business owners and community members. Businesses and individuals interested in attending can sign up at https://meaacc.org/rights.
Lisa Parisio, Policy Director at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) said: “The federal administration’s mass deportation agenda has absolutely no legitimate public policy purpose and continues to have devastating impacts across Maine. ICE enforcement threatens the rights and safety of Maine residents, leaves people living in a state of constant fear, and makes all of us less safe. ILAP calls for ICE out of our communities now, and for the agency to be immediately defunded and dismantled.”
Ruben Torres, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, said: The taking of a Cambodian community member from his workplace did not make Portland safer. It left a family searching for answers, disrupted a workplace, and spread fear throughout a community. Khmer Maine is now mobilizing to support the family, impacted businesses, and help its community respond to a crisis created by ICE. This is what mass deportation looks like in practice. Maine’s congressional delegation must stop funding these operations, use its authority to get ICE out of our communities, and fund a functional immigration system
We are withholding further details at the request of the family and out of respect for their privacy and safety. We ask the public not to circulate unverified claims that could create further fear or complicate efforts to establish what happened. We will share verified information as it becomes available.
Community members who need support, or who have information to share, can reach Khmer Maine at info@khmermaine.org or visit our website at khmermaine.org. To report ICE activity or find resources, please use the LighthouseME hotline (207) 544-9989. To request legal assistance for someone who has been detained by immigration officials in Maine, fill out ILAP’s intake form at https://ilapmaine.org/detention. Know Your Rights information can be found at https://www.aclumaine.org/preparingforice/. . Know Your Rights in Asian languages are available at https://meaacc.org/rights.
Contacts:
Marpheen Chann, Executive Director, Khmer Maine, marpheen@khmermaine.org, (207) 245-2173
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP): press@ilapmaine.org
Ruben Torres, Director of Advocacy and Policy, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition rtorres@maineimmigrantrights.org
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About Khmer Maine
Khmer Maine is a nonpartisan, community organization working to improve the quality of life and the social and economic well-being of Cambodians in Maine through cultural exchange, community building and civic engagement. Khmer Maine also partners to support members of Maine’s Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander communities and strives for solidarity with Black and Indigenous communities in Maine.
About the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
ILAP advances justice for Maine’s immigrants through free immigration legal services, community outreach, and advocacy.
About the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of legal, social, and economic outcomes for immigrants in the state of Maine.
