Armed protesters have set up a near-daily presence outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Scarborough, Maine, with at least one open-carrying demonstrator telling the Portland Press Herald that “If they want to start a firefight, I will return fire.”
The agency has already had to increase security after six vandalism incidents in three months.
Video and photos from the scene show individuals in tactical gear and fatigues marked “NOT A COP” standing with long guns and “Abolish ICE” banners near the building.
Amid unverified reports of an increased ICE presence in Scarborough, several protesters have posted up outside the ICE facility with ARs.
Chellie Pingree reacted to the reports of increased ICE presence:
“This cruel, chaotic, and out-of-control agency needs to be abolished. And we need ICE out of Maine. Period.”
The protester pictured below has been stationed outside of the facility for months on end, although in our previous interactions with the individual, she was not armed.
Additionally, @WGME has photos of other protesters patrolling outside the facility with rifles:
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) November 10, 2026
The Portland Press Herald spoke to protesters and reports:
A protester who goes by K and asked not to be fully identified out of fear for her safety, has been openly carrying a camo AR-15 outside of the Scarborough ICE facility for weeks, ever since she heard a fellow protester say they were intimidated by agents in a nearby parking lot. A longtime gun owner, she had been carrying a concealed firearm while keeping a daily watch for months. Her belt has a hatchet, additional magazines, a medical kit and a racoon tail.
“If they want to start a fire fight, I will return fire,” she said. Her hands rested on the handle of her weapon. “This is a civil war.”
…
Two other protesters have also started open carrying, she said, and both stood near two black pickup trucks parked just off the road in front of the ICE facility on a recent Tuesday morning. One demonstrator armed with a rifle wore a camo tactical vest and a matching buff covering their face. The other, also wearing a face covering and camo base layers, crossed their arms over their gun.
“Maybe one day, 100 people can show up with AR-15s,” K said. In her ideal world, there would be thousands of people mobilizing to the facility to physically force ICE out, she said.
The latest escalation follows months of protests that began after an ICE agent fatally shot Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in nearby Biddeford in July.
The small group of activists has maintained a roadside watch since then, monitoring agent movements, photographing vehicles and personnel, and calling for prosecutions and the agency’s removal from the state, with some now openly carrying rifles.
The Maine Wire interviewed several of the armed protesters on site, who confirmed they are there seven days a week for at least 12 hours a day.
WATCH:
Here’s our interview with the armed anti-ICE protesters in Scarborough:
JON: “So you guys are out here seven days a week?”
PROTESTER: “Of course. 12 hours a day at least” https://t.co/1AXcfBPcGB
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) November 10, 2026
Open carry is legal in Maine for those permitted to possess firearms.
A spokesperson for ICE told WMTW that the agency’s officers are “under constant threat from violent agitators.”
Ad block users: Some site features may not work correctly while an ad blocker is enabled, because they break scripts and content this website depends on. If you can’t see comments below, for example, please disable your ad blocker.
