ICE Detains Another Corrections Officer in Cumberland County

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained another corrections officer from Cumberland County, Maine. This time, the officer is Dannick Massamba-Bankela, who was taken into custody on Tuesday. He marks the fifth noncitizen officer apprehended by ICE since April 2025, illuminating a contentious hiring trend in the area. Prior arrests have created some friction between Sheriff Kevin Joyce and the ICE office located in Scarborough.

“Illegal aliens have no place in our communities, especially in positions of law enforcement,” a statement echoed from local authorities.

Massamba-Bankela, originally from the Republic of the Congo, was instructed to report to the ICE processing facility on September 19. Daily protests have occurred outside the facility, with supporters rallying around him.

“It’s not his fault that the U.S. government delays forever in scheduling these asylum interviews,” asserted his attorney, Christina Corbaci, in a conversation with Maine Public. “What is a person supposed to do? He’s establishing roots and integrating into the community, which is exactly what we encourage immigrants to do.”

Currently, according to ICE’s detainee locator, Massamba-Bankela is being held at the Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island. Before this, he was at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts.

The group of five detained corrections officers includes individuals from either the Congo or Angola. Many entered the United States on tourist or student visas and later applied for asylum. For instance, Emanuel Ludovic Mbuangi Landila, an Angolan national, entered the country illegally in 2019 via the southern border, according to reports from the Bangor Daily News.

Sheriff Joyce noted that the four officers detained prior to Massamba-Bankela had valid work authorizations for their positions in Cumberland County. Corbaci indicated that her client also had valid work authorization, but it’s important to note that such authorization does not regularize an individual’s status if they have overstayed their visa, according to ICE.

The ICE facility in Scarborough is not classified as a detention center. At least two corrections officers have been processed there and then transferred to other facilities, while Landila was released on bond.

Landila had been detained on January 21, released in February, and was reportedly back in his training program by April, still facing removal pending a final resolution on his asylum situation.

All five detained corrections officers had been hired by Sheriff Kevin Joyce, who has been in office since 2010 and is currently campaigning for re-election.

In January, Joyce remarked on Landila’s situation: “I guess if you’re not a card-carrying U.S. citizen, then you must be illegal. Because that’s what they told me — he’s illegal — and he’s definitely not a criminal. So what part of him is illegal? I don’t know.” He described the ICE enforcement as a “show of force.”

In 2024, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy eliminated English reading and writing tests as a requirement for certification shortly before the hiring surge of noncitizens began. Following this change, Joyce claimed to have employed over 20 immigrants as corrections officers in just one year.

Interestingly, Cumberland County does not sponsor visas but also does not verify applicants’ citizenship or legal status. Their job postings require applicants to be “authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.” but do not ask about green cards or immigration cases.

Cumberland County jail has struggled with staffing shortages prior to this wave of noncitizen hiring.

A representative from the Department of Homeland Security stated, “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is restoring law and order. Illegal aliens have no place in our communities, especially in positions of law enforcement,” emphasizing that being in detention is a choice and urging illegal residents to take proactive steps regarding their status.

While Maine is not unique in employing noncitizens in its prison system, with Texas reportedly employing around 1,600 foreign nationals, the situation remains a point of discussion and contention.

Both the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Massamba-Bankela’s attorney have not responded to requests for comments concerning these recent events.