An opportunity for leadership on the Scarborough ICE facility | Opinion
Scarborough Town Leaders Urge Property Owner to Help Remove ICE Facility
Scarborough, ME – Town officials are pressing the owner of the federal immigration‑enforcement facility at 40 Manson Libby Road to use his influence to change the tenant. The call comes after a local community backlash sparked by the death of a migrant in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) incident in nearby Biddeford.
The building on Manson Libby Road is leased to the federal government through the General Services Administration (GSA). The lease began in 2019 and is set to expire in 2034. GSA controls which federal agency occupies the space, and the lease does not grant the owner the right to evict a tenant unilaterally.
According to a statement released by Scarborough’s Democratic Town Committee, chair Jon Anderson and vice‑chair Molly LeComte said the town’s residents “ask what can be done about a federal facility that they believe does not reflect the values they want for their town.” They added that the tragedy involving Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero – who died after an encounter with an ICE agent in Biddeford – intensified the call for action.
Town officials note that the property owner, Josh Soley, has publicly explained the lease terms. “The lease is with GSA and GSA has substantial autonomy over which federal agency uses the space,” Soley told a local news outlet in an interview in 2023. “The way to change the federal tenant is to engage with GSA.”
Anderson and LeComte outlined several steps Soley could take without breaching the lease: formally asking GSA to consider replacing ICE with another federal agency; offering to cooperate with GSA if ICE is relocated; requesting a review of the property’s use to determine a better fit for the community; and, if GSA is uncooperative, refusing to renew the lease when it ends.
The town council, along with several state legislators, has expressed support for a “positive story of a local property owner who, joining with his community and with elected officials, becomes part of a groundswell that finally rids our town of an unwanted element.” Officials say they have tried to reach Soley privately to discuss a partnership but have not yet received a response.
“The town is a beacon for freedom, dignity, justice and safety for all,” Anderson said. “We’re asking Josh to join us and work toward a solution that serves the government, the community, and the people who use the building.”
Soley’s current stance has not changed, according to the town’s statement. He has reiterated that any action would have to be coordinated with GSA and that he would not take unilateral steps that could be viewed as illegal or contractual violations.
The debate over the ICE facility has become a focal point for broader discussions about the federal presence in Maine’s smaller communities. Residents and local leaders hope that a cooperative approach involving the property owner could lead to a relocation or repurposing of the facility, aligning the town’s infrastructure with its values.
The town’s next steps will likely involve formal communications with GSA and further outreach to Soley. For now, Scarborough residents remain divided, with many advocating for a removal of ICE and others calling for a more nuanced solution that respects federal responsibilities while addressing local concerns.
