I’m a minister living in Skowhegan. Over the course of my ministry, I have had the privilege to spend two years living in El Paso, Texas, where I have accompanied people through their immigration journeys. I’ve worked with asylum seekers forced to remain in Mexico while waiting on their hearings, people in immigration detention, and helping people get situated after their deportations to Mexico.

I’m called to this work because I believe in my core that our highest moral obligation is to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are meant to spread love and compassion to all those we meet regardless of their circumstances.

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities are the first stop after being arrested by ICE. The stories from detainees of being ripped from their families, spouses, and children in the middle of the night are chilling. They’re taken to these facilities uncertain of their fates. They are subject to rampant physical and verbal abuse. They are held in overcrowded and unsanitary cells. The careers of judges that preside over their cases depend on filling deportation quotas and not on ensuring that justice is upheld. At no point in the process are the detainees treated like humans deserving of love and compassion.

We must stop the ICE facility in Scarborough. The process is a dehumanizing one that is devoid of any redeeming quality. If we allow ICE processing facilities in Maine, we are encouraging and sanctioning the abuse of our neighbors.

Zebulon Green

Skowhegan