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ICE arrested Cumberland County jail officer despite valid work authorization; third such detention in a year

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Bassikissa Bounguiena, a Cumberland County Jail corrections officer, in South Portland, Maine, on June 9, 2026, despite his holding work authorization valid through 2030 and no filed criminal charges. Cumberland County officials disputed ICE's description of him as a "criminal illegal alien," confirming only an unfiled 2019 domestic-violence arrest. Bounguiena is the third Cumberland County Jail corrections officer ICE has detained in about a year.

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
South Portland, Maine

Abuses documented

Actors

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Bassikissa Bounguiena, a Cumberland County Jail corrections officer, in South Portland, Maine, on June 9, 2026. Bounguiena had joined the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office in August 2024 after passing a background check and what the Sheriff's Office called a "rigorous" vetting process, and held work authorization valid until 2030. The Sheriff's Office said he had no disciplinary issues and "often works overtime."

ICE characterized Bounguiena, an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a "criminal illegal alien" citing a domestic-violence history. Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris confirmed a 2019 domestic-violence arrest but said no charges were ever filed. Friends and colleagues described him as a community leader. He was held at Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire before being transferred to the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island.

Bounguiena is the third Cumberland County Jail corrections officer ICE has detained in about a year, following a January 2026 "Operation Catch of the Day" arrest of a corrections recruit (later released) that drew public criticism from Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce, after which ICE had pulled its detainees from the Portland jail.

Why we recorded this

Due process requires immigration enforcement to respect documented legal status rather than unilateral "criminal alien" labeling. Bounguiena held work authorization valid through 2030 and faced no filed charges from the 2019 incident ICE cited, yet was detained and transferred out of state. This is the third Cumberland County Jail corrections officer ICE has detained in about a year, a pattern the archive records because it shows enforcement overriding documented status and due-process safeguards for lawfully working immigrants.

Sources

  1. Portland, Maine, Cumberland County jail officer ICE detention — Bangor Daily News primary accessed July 5, 2026
  2. ICE arrests another Cumberland County jail corrections officer, third in a year — Maine Public investigative accessed July 5, 2026
  3. Cumberland County officials criticize ICE after another corrections officer is detained — Portland Press Herald investigative accessed July 5, 2026

See also