Photo from Nora Saks at Maine Public.

The following is a Vitality email sent January 30, 2026. To sign up for Vitality, click here.

Pray-in at Susan Collins’ Office

As you may know, nine faith leaders were arrested in Portland, Maine on Tuesday after completing an act of civil disobedience. They visited the office of Senator Susan Collins for a pray-in. There, they demanded that she stop funding ICE. This group was connected to many other advocates within the Portland community. 

This week, I spoke to some of the Friends involved in that action. There were six Quakers involved in the witness: one on the leadership team, two in the action, and two people offering support. 

The people arrested were part of a larger group of 30 that marched to Susan Collins’ office together. The marchers began at a local church where they prayed and prepared, grounding themselves spiritually. Folks met together for more than two hours, talking about logistics and offering spiritual support. 

The marchers included members of the multifaith group of greater Portland, which has been working and praying together for 10 years. The multifaith group formed in 2016. Every month since then, they have met together to offer each other support. They have prayed together during the pandemic and walked side by side in the Pride parade. One pastor shared that two of her congregants were taken by ICE, and she does not know where they are being held.

The 30 marchers helped to organize this week’s action after they received a call from the Maine People’s Alliance, a secular group that works for progressive change. In addition, many of the marchers had taken trainings through the People’s Coalition for Safety and Justice.The People’s Coalition offered de-escalation trainings and ICE verification trainings. 

Do you see how many groups came together for this to happen?

We’re still going.

Food aid, immigrant rights, and supportive media

Deep, long-term community ties linked the People’s Alliance and the multifaith leaders to other groups, including the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, (MIRC). MIRC is made up of more than 20 member organizations, many of which are led by BIPOC people. Among these is Presente! Maine, a mutual aid group made by and for Afro/Indigenous-Latines. During ICE raids, Presente! has been distributing food to immigrants to help people shelter in place. 

As one Friend said: “We’re connected, almost organically, to the communities we’re trying to stand beside now. This is what it means to be in community.”

The community of resistance included schools and media groups. Last year, after a father was taken away by ICE during parent drop-off, schools began a community-wide School Watch. The School Watch is made of white adults who arrive on school grounds each day and monitor for ICE. The group has been clear that white people should be the ones to take on this work.

In addition, reporters from Maine Public have featured business and political leaders who speak out against ICE. Before the pray-in at Senator Collins’ office, faith leaders released a press release to the media and described the action that they were about to take. Reporters agreed to honor the news embargo by keeping the release confidential until the pray-in had begun.

When I interviewed Quakers in Maine, I asked what they would recommend to folks who feel powerless or angry right now. One Friend said: “If you’re feeling newly activated, find out who you will do an action with. Don’t focus on what you will do. Ask, instead, ‘who will I do this with?”

He recommended finding the groups in your area that are led by trans people and immigrants and then supporting the work that they’re doing.

Johanna Jackson

Communications Coordinator