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Cambodian man detained by ICE while working at Portland, Maine market

Aug 20, 2026·Location: Portland, ME

Country of origin: Cambodia

Cambodian man detained by ICE while working at Portland, Maine market
Photo via WGME

ICE agents detained a Cambodian man Tuesday morning while he was working at Veranda Asian Market in Woodfords Corner, Portland, Maine. His name has not been publicly released, but Khmer Maine, a nonprofit in contact with him, described him as "quiet, kind and a hard worker." Marpheen Chann, executive director of Khmer Maine, said the arrest has sparked fear in local Asian immigrant communities and is "hurting Maine's local economy and making our communities feel less safe." Khmer Maine says it is working with his family and immigration advocates to ensure transparency. ICE has not released statistics on its recent operations in Maine, though national ICE detention numbers reached a record high of more than 65,000 last month.

Timeline

Aug 20, 2026—Khmer Maine's executive director spoke publicly about the arrest and its impact on the community
Aug 18, 2026—ICE agents detained a Cambodian man while he was working at Veranda Asian Market in Portland, Maine
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