Paul LePage says ICE is deporting his relative

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), who is running for Congress, said Monday his son’s father-in-law is being deported, calling the situation “not right.”

LePage, running to succeed outgoing Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, told reporters his relative is being deported because “he came from a country that’s not to the liking of certain people” in Washington, D.C.

“That’s not right. He has a work permit. He should be allowed to stay,” LePage said, according to video shown on WGME-TV in Portland, Maine.

Maine has been among many states subject to President Trump’s immigration crackdown, with WGME-TV reporting last month that federal immigration officers had made 482 arrests in the state so far this year, citing data from the Deportation Data Project.

In July, a federal immigration officer fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine. Guerrero, a 25-year-old man from Colombia, was not the target of the warrant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were executing when he was shot, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) told The Associated Press at the time.

ICE said at the time the man was attempting to flee the scene, and did not say whether he was the target of the operation. Guerrero’s death sparked backlash in Maine and from Democratic lawmakers against the widespread deployment of federal immigration authorities.

Relatives of David Brouillette, the ICE officer who fatally shot Guerrero, have also warned that the man has a history of violent behavior and mental health issues.

LePage said Monday he “probably” would not go after migrants who have “been here for decades” and have work permits. Instead, the GOP congressional candidate said the federal government should target those in “gangs” and with criminal records.

LePage, who preceded Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) in the governor’s mansion, is running against state auditor Matthew Dunlap (D) in November. As of Wednesday, Decision Desk HQ gives the former Republican governor a 64 percent chance of winning the general election.