Asylum seeker detained by ICE had no criminal history in Maine
Jan 24, 2026 · Portland, ME, DR Congo
Francoise Makuiza, a 32-year-old asylum seeker, was arrested by ICE on Friday morning while leaving for work at an assisted living facility in Portland. According to her attorney, Makuiza has no criminal history in Maine, has lived there for over 12 years, is the mother of a U.S. citizen, and was previously granted refugee status by Colombia after fleeing genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her detention is part of an ICE enforcement surge that has resulted in more than 200 arrests in Maine, including asylum seekers complying with immigration officials and immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
Sources
More incidents in Maine
- Cambodian man detained by ICE while working at Portland, Maine marketAug 18, 2026 · Portland, ME
- Maine contractor detained seven months after traffic stop returns home with green cardAug 16, 2026 · Portland, ME
- Husband and wife arrested by ICE outside Cumberland County courthouse in PortlandAug 12, 2026 · Portland, ME
- MaineHealth nurse with pending asylum claim arrested by ICE at Portland JetportJul 30, 2026 · Portland, ME
- ICE detentions surge in Maine weeks before Biddeford shootingJul 17, 2026 · Maine, ME
- Colombian delivery driver fatally shot by ICE officer in mistaken Maine traffic stopJul 17, 2026 · Biddeford, ME