Paul LePage relative faces deportation during Maine campaign
Republican congressional candidate Paul LePage disclosed his son's father-in-law is being deported despite a valid work permit, arguing ICE should target
Paul LePage revealed his son's father-in-law faces deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The former Maine governor made the disclosure during his campaign for the state's 2nd Congressional District seat, stating the relative holds a valid United States work permit.
LePage called the situation unjust. He alleged the man is being deported because he comes from a country that is unpopular with certain officials in Washington. LePage did not identify the relative, his country of origin, or provide any details about the legal basis or stage of the immigration proceedings.
Campaign context and enforcement stance
LePage made the remarks on September 21-22, 2026, in Augusta while accepting an endorsement from Maine’s Fraternal Order of Police. He used the personal case to argue for a shift in federal enforcement priorities.
He stated he would not necessarily pursue everyone with work authorization who had lived in the country for decades. LePage said enforcement should instead focus on gang members and criminals. He acknowledged that people not in the country legally have broken the law and that federal agents have a responsibility to enforce it.
The longtime supporter of stricter immigration also called on Congress to overhaul the nation's immigration system, arguing lawmakers have failed to resolve longstanding problems. At the same event, he criticized a new state law limiting police cooperation with ICE agents.
Broader enforcement patterns in Maine
LePage's comments come amid scrutiny of ICE operations in Maine. Earlier this year, the agency launched an operation known as 'Operation Catch of the Day,' described by federal officials as an effort to arrest immigrants with serious criminal histories.
However, immigration records analyzed by advocates tell a different story. Data indicates that many people arrested during the crackdown had no criminal record. The figures show the breakdown of ICE arrests in Maine for the first seven months of 2026.
| Arrest Category | Percentage of Total Arrests |
|---|---|
| No criminal conviction or pending charge | 69% |
| Convicted of a crime | 12% |
The data has prompted questions about the administration's stated enforcement priorities and the extent to which agents are targeting people without criminal histories.
Unanswered questions and continued opposition
LePage declined to name the federal official involved in his relative's case or cite a specific policy behind his allegation of bias. It remains unclear whether the relative has received a final deportation order or is still in immigration proceedings.
The disclosure follows another high-profile enforcement incident in Maine. In July, a 25-year-old Colombian immigrant named Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was legally living in the United States with his family, was shot during an encounter with immigration agents in Biddeford. He was not the intended target of the agents' warrant. That shooting intensified concerns about federal immigration enforcement and renewed calls for greater accountability.
Despite questioning his relative's deportation, LePage has continued to oppose the new Maine law restricting certain cooperation between state and local police and federal immigration authorities.
