Maine’s Border Patrol agents are using more traffic stops, surveillance to make arrests

As the Trump administration ramps up deportation efforts, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are showing up at traffic stops and work sites in Maine towns from Fort Fairfield to Old Orchard Beach and arresting people much farther away from their traditional posts.

Border Patrol has long been allowed deep into the interiors of Maine because the entire state falls within its 100-mile border zone. Yet some critics fear the agency is going too far beyond its work at the literal border, and they’re concerned by reports that agents are surveilling job sites with drones and collaborating with local police.

While data shows actual border arrests by the agency are down nationwide, Border Patrol has been working deeper inside the country — much like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcemen