ICE storm approaches Somaliland North

Nabadgelyo, iyo safarro badbaado leh

“Goodbye, and safe travels”

Lewiston, Maine January 15th:

Immigrants prepare for their arrests and leave Lewiston ahead of ICE action

LEWISTON, Maine — The day after the mayor of Maine’s second-largest city announced that immigration agents planned to ramp up their presence here, the streets were quiet but the mood was tense. 

One property manager whose tenants are almost exclusively African immigrants described how citizen parents have been driving undocumented neighbors’ kids to school and dropping off groceries so they didn’t have to leave their homes. She showed a reporter a form being passed around so undocumented parents could designate temporary guardians for their children in the event of their arrest.

Others decided not to stick around to see what happens in Lewiston in the coming days, she said, referring to a pair of asylum-seekers from Angola who handed over the keys to their apartment Wednesday and said they planned to head for the Canadian border. 

Of course, with Somalis involved, law enforcement activity is not confined to mere illegal immigration-related raids, there are also fraud crackdowns going on, conducted by other federal and state agencies.

Law Enforcement Descends Upon The Mogadishu Store in Lewiston.

LEWISTON, Maine – December 16 2025:

Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant Friday at the Mogadishu Store, also known as The Little Mogadishu Store, located at 240 Lisbon St., as part of an ongoing fraud investigation, according to witness accounts and information confirmed to The Maine Wire.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing two blacked-out sedans parked outside the business while authorities entered the premises. The activity drew attention along the busy Lisbon Street corridor as agents conducted the search inside the store.

According to information obtained by The Maine Wire, the operation is connected to a broader investigation into an alleged $4.5 million fraud scheme. The specific nature of the suspected fraud has not been publicly detailed, and officials have not indicated whether any arrests were made during the search.

In a statement released later Friday, the Lewiston Police Department confirmed that it executed a search warrant at the business as part of what it described as a lengthy fraud investigation. Police said they were assisted by the Department of Agriculture during the operation and emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing.

The department also sought to clarify that the enforcement action was not related to immigration enforcement activities. As of publication, no additional details regarding the scope of the investigation or potential charges have been released.