More than 100 nurses, union members, and officials gathered outside Maine Medical Center on Wednesday to call for MaineHealth to intervene after federal immigration authorities detained a nurse last week, according to a report published August 5.
Supporters met to show support for Debora Kapisha, an asylum seeker and medical-surgical nurse at the Portland hospital. Kapisha was detained on July 30 while traveling through Boston’s Logan Airport, according to a statement from the union.
During the rally, speakers suggested that the hospital could provide assistance to Kapisha by providing a letter of support, helping to pay bond money, or sponsoring her green card.
Janel Crowley, a union steward and NICU nurse, stated that the hospital has the resources to protect its workers and suggested the facility should act as an example for other employers in Maine. Hannah Pingree, a Democratic candidate for governor, stated she met with MaineHealth leaders Wednesday morning to discuss the possible closure of the labor and delivery unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta. Pingree said she told administrators that Kapisha is needed to provide lifesaving services to the state and expressed a desire for the hospital to sponsor her.
Britt Crewse, president of MaineHealth’s southern region, said in a statement Wednesday that the organization is in touch with Kapisha’s attorneys and is providing appropriate support while working to secure her release. Crewse noted that MaineHealth reaches out to Maine’s congressional delegation to gather more information and stated that the hospital ensures all employees are legally authorized to work, though the enforcement surge has left many care team members on edge.
The detention of Kapisha follows previous instances involving healthcare workers, such as nursing student Olivia Andre, who was held in a Texas detention center for six months before her release in May.
Maine Rep. Deqa Dhalac told the crowd Wednesday that the administration is taking hardworking community members rather than criminals. While immigration enforcement in Maine has become less visible since a large-scale operation in January, the recent fatal shooting of Biddeford resident Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a federal agent last month has renewed calls for ICE to leave the state.
