Waldo County Sheriff Jason Trundy issued the following letter to the media and to Waldo County commissioners, state representatives and senator March 20, following a March 13 traffic stop in Montville. At that traffic stop, two people, both with foreign drivers' licenses, were taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol.

Sheriff Trundy submitted the following:

News Release
Waldo County Sheriff’s Office

March 20, 2025

On March 13, 2025, at approximately 06.40 a.m. a Waldo County Sheriff’s deputy was conducting a traffic detail on Route 220 in the Town of Montville.

During the detail the deputy observed a motor vehicle traveling in excess of the speed limit and initiated a traffic stop. The deputy obtained the operator’s driver’s license and vehicle information and requested the Waldo County Dispatch Center to run the license to verify the operator’s status.

The deputy was advised by dispatch that the operator’s right to operate a motor vehicle in Maine was currently suspended. Dispatch also notified the deputy that they received a notice indicating the driver held an illegal immigration status. Dispatch notified the U. S. Border Patrol Office of the contact.

The deputy advised the operator that his license was currently under suspension and that he would be issued a summons for the violation. The deputy advised the operator that he needed to make arrangements to have the vehicle removed by an authorized operator. The operator asked if the passenger could drive the vehicle, so the deputy asked if the passenger was authorized to drive a motor vehicle. The passenger provided the deputy with a foreign drivers license.

A Border Patrol agent contacted the deputy while he was preparing the paperwork for the driver of the vehicle and advised him that he believed the passenger was in the U.S. illegally and that he was enroute to the site of the traffic stop to take the passenger into custody. During this time a relative of the driver arrived on scene and after speaking with the Border Patrol agent was also taken into custody due to their immigration status.

The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office has always maintained a positive working relationship with all our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. I understand that the enforcement of federal immigration law is currently under a great deal of political scrutiny and judicial review. It is important to understand that local law enforcement, including Sheriff’s Office deputies, are unable to enforce federal laws. Nor do our personnel have access to any information utilized by federal agencies to identify or verify someone’s immigration status. These are the reasons why a federal agency is notified when we receive an alert regarding someone’s immigration status.

The Sheriff’s Office is committed to ensuring public safety and to enforcing the laws of the State of Maine in a fair and equitable manner.