JANUARY 30TH

In response to recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, as well as the deaths of four people shot by federal agents, activists are encouraging a “shutdown” on Friday.

The “National Shutdown” calls for supporters to stay home from work and school, and not to go shopping in an effort to “stop funding ICE.”

The national strike is being organized by National Shutdown, a decentralized grassroots movement, and has been endorsed by numerous advocacy groups including CodePink, Defend Immigrant Families Campaign, CAIR, the North Carolina Poor People's Campaign, the LA Tenants Union, and several student organizations at the University of Minnesota.

Strike organizers have asked citizens to withhold labor and spending, effectively creating a nationwide economic blackout.

Advocates say widespread participation could pressure the federal government to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement.

The strike is intended to achieve several outcomes, including withdrawal of federal agents from local operations, especially in Minnesota, end to deaths and violence associated with ICE and DHS enforcement, and public accountability for federal policies affecting immigrants and communities.

It also aims at raising awareness nationwide about civil liberties and First Amendment rights

This strike is a non-violent action and is part of a broader movement to hold the federal government accountable.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31st

11am- 2pm

@ Eliot Fire Dept/Dixon Park Area
In Support of Eliot Connects

We are in need of volunteers, soup makers, bakers, games & kids outdoor gear!

Come together for a cozy winter gathering! Step inside the Fire Station to share a warm bowl of homemade soup, baked treats, play board games with your neighbors and a Kids Winter Gear Swap/Drive. Enjoy outdoor fun, a hot cocoa cart, fire pits & s’mores, ice skating and snowman making! (weather permitting). Event is “pay what you can” by donation & 100% of proceeds will fund Eliot Connects programs, initiatives & events.

• Homemade Soups & Baked Treats: We need a variety of soups (in crock pots) & baked treats.
• Board Game Table: We need gently used board games for families to play that will be donated after to KidsPLAY, EES & Baran Place.
• Outside Winter Fun: Fire pit & s’mores, Haven Homes & Lifestyle Hot Cocoa Cart, skating, snowman making & games all weather permitting! 
• Kids Winter Outer Gear Swap/Drive: Bring what you can & take what you need! Gently worn & washed or new items such as boots, snow pants, jackets, gloves & hats for ages 4 - 14yo kids sizes. Gear will be donated after the swap to kids at EES, KidsPLAY & YCCAC!

The phone number, 207-544-9989, functions like a community dispatch system. When someone calls in to report a possible ICE sighting, trained volunteers answer the phone. If the report involves a live ICE presence, two additional volunteers—called verifiers—are dispatched to the scene to confirm the sighting. Once verified, the information is quickly relayed through trusted networks to inform immigrant communities across the state.

The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, the People's Coalition for Safety and Justice, and other community partners comprise the coalition.

In addition to ICE sightings, callers can use the hotline to access legal assistance, immigrant support services, and community resources. Volunteers operating the hotline are often trusted local residents, according to Ruben Torres, policy manager for the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition.

Please spread the word!

Get trained to be an operator or a verifier of ICE activities.

Background about the training:

As you know, there is a state-wide hotline (207) 544-9989 for anyone to call to report suspicious ice or border patrol presence or activity.

Hotline operators will take the information from the call and request that 2 trained verifiers go to the scene and evaluate. This is done through a signal chat/alert.

In terms of what the verifier’s role is:

Verifiers arrive at the site and attempt to verify if in fact, immigration enforcement officers are present. We try to get as much info as possible about the scene.

e.g. number of vehicles, number of people/officers, make and model of cars, plain clothes or uniformed agents, what are the agents doing (sitting in a car, actively detaining someone, knocking on a door, etc.), what equipment is on hand (weapons, vests, masks, etc.)

While on the scene, one of the verifiers will be reporting back to the operator via signal text. The other verifier will be videoing if the activity warrants documentation.

We are told not to obstruct or appear to obstruct. We have the right to video and observe.

After gathering info and confirming with the operator that you will be leaving, you would fill out a report form.

Training Process:

There are two parts to the training.

Part 1 is a de-escalation training - focused on staying calm and grounded and peaceful while responding to an alert.

Part 2 is information about what to do, how to observe and report.

Parts 1 and 2 are usually virtual and are about 2 hours each.

We definitely need folks in your area and also in Eliot and Kittery. I hope there are some folks who can step up. Sponsored by Wells Democracy in Action

ELIOT: Tuesdays, 3-4pm, Defending Democracy Rally, Eliot Commons

We hope you will take an hour and join us! The rallies are making a difference and if we don’t keep going, we won’t keep growing!!!

SOUTH BERWICK: Wednesdays, 3:30--4:30pm, Resistance Rally, Main St South Berwick, in front of Mark Lawrence’s office. Bring signs, flags and friends!

DEFUND ICE! Contact your legislators asking them to reject ICE Funding.

Urge Senators and Members of Congress to Cut ICE Funding!

We need you to take action NOW! Coming into the New Year the House and Senate are proposing to expand immigration detention. There is already a record breaking 68,442 people in detention (via ICE December 22, 2025 stats). The proposal on the table includes additional funding for immigration enforcement and detention on top of the unprecedented $45 billion that ICE was given last year through the reconciliation bill. ICE and other government agencies have wreaked havoc across our country detaining individuals and locking them up in a deadly and inhumane system. Adding additional capacity will only escalate families being torn apart and subject them to horrific detention conditions.

Write your Representatives and tell them to stop funding ICE!

Community fridges are a free, anonymous source of food with 24/7 accessibility. Anyone can drop off food that they don’t want, or would otherwise throw away, for another person in the community to enjoy. Think of it as crowd-funding a full fridge. 

There are outdoor refrigerators at Marshwood Middle School and High School.

From SMGer Laura Eaton: “I dropped off some eggs, cheese, onions and fruit at the high school yesterday afternoon. Out of curiosity, I just checked the status this morning, and all my stuff was gone along with just about everything else that was in the fridge. It is pretty empty now and was not really full yesterday.”

According to MHS Principal, the refrigerator use is robust.

Please donate there!

Clean Elections contributions:

Our state rep candidates, Mallory Cook and Alex Orestis and state senate candidate, Michele Meyer are

Clean Elections candidates. Each registered voter can contribute $5 to each of their campaigns which will

release other funding for them when thresholds are met. It’s easy to do online.

Join occupy Seacoast for civil rights Sundays in Market Square for their weekly protest.

Last week over 1,200 people came out to protest the Murder of Renee Good, with ICE out for Good!

Venezuela is still going on, as is the immigration crackdown, and now we have to worry about Iran and attacking our NATO partner Greenland.

The Hand's Off and NO KINGS Rallies were awesome but we need to continue!

We stand along the street in front of the North Church, On Congress Street! the Brick Church off of Market Square in Portsmouth!

Everyone is welcome to bring their own signs, We also have signs Banners and flags to share.

We call the event Civil Rights Sundays, we started in November of 2016 after Trump won the first time, and we were in the square every Sunday until Covid shut us down, then we went back out when Ukraine was invaded and brought back the name Civil Rights Sundays when Roe Vs Wade was overturned.

Please join us at 3pm!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21st

6:30pm ET

What To Do If You Encounter ICE,

How to Protect Your Privacy, and Protesting Safely

Featuring:

ACLU of Maine Experts

Hon. Joyce Vance, Ret. U.S.

Attorney

Hon. James Orenstein, Ret.

Federal Magistrate Judge

Tuesday, January 20, 2pm

The "Free America Walk Out" is a planned, nationwide protest calling for mass walkouts of work, school, and commerce on January 20, 2026, at 2 PM local time. Organized by groups like the Women's March, to protest against authoritarianism and fight for democracy, aiming to disrupt business as usual and demand action for a "Free America".

We walk out because now is not the time for business as usual. Now is the time for action to protect each other and to fight for our freedoms.

Voting is one of the fundamental rights we have as citizens of this state and country. Everyone should make an effort to cast a ballot at each election.

Maine law makes it easy to cast an absentee ballot. You don't have to be out-of-town or have any other reason to take advantage of this easy way to vote at a time that is most convenient for you.

If you would like to vote by absentee ballot, please take a few moments to review the information below. Contact your local municipal clerk or the Elections Division if you have additional questions.

Make sure you have a voice in your future - cast a ballot.

Eliot voters wishing to obtain an absentee ballot and vote from home can order their ballots now by one of two options:

Order electronically through the Maine Online Absentee Ballot Request Service*Please Note:  This service is not available for this election

Call the Town Clerk's Office at 207-439-1817 to request an absentee ballot.