Paul Lepage Says ICE Is Deporting His Relative Despite a Valid Work Permit

Paul LePage said September 22, 2026, that ICE was deporting his son’s father-in-law, a man he described as having permission to work in the United States. LePage alleged that the relative was targeted because he came from a country disfavored by people in Washington.

He did not name the man or the country. His public account linked the family member’s reported case to a broader argument about whom immigration officers should pursue first.

LePage said the relative was his son’s wife’s father. The man’s identity remains private.

The former governor made the remarks in Augusta while accepting an endorsement from Maine’s Fraternal Order of Police. He said the relative should be allowed to remain in the country.

“Not everybody that's here is illegal. I have a father, my son's wife's dad is here legally, but he's being deported because he came from a country that's not of the certain liking of some people in Washington. That’s not right. He has a work permit. He should be allowed to stay.”

LePage’s account included no name for the country or the relative. He described the man as being in the United States legally and said his removal was tied to where he came from.

LePage argued enforcement should target gangs and criminals first

LePage set his account of the family member’s case against what he described as a choice about enforcement priorities. He said he would not necessarily pursue people with work authorization who had lived in the country for decades, and would instead focus on gang members and criminals.

“Would I go after everybody that's here that have work permits and have been here for decades? Probably not. I'd probably go for the gang people and the criminals.”

The distinction he drew was between longtime workers and people he associated with gang activity or crime. He did not describe the relative’s length of time in the country or provide details about the individual immigration case.

LePage also acknowledged the government’s role in enforcing immigration law. He said people who were not in the country legally had broken the law, while arguing that enforcement should concentrate on criminal activity.

“If they're not here legally, they've broken the law, unfortunately. And they have a job to do.”

He framed the relative’s reported deportation as inconsistent with the priorities he favored. His comments did not identify the legal basis for the action or explain what stage the case had reached.

The family member’s nationality and case details remain undisclosed

LePage described the relative as coming from a country that was not to the liking of “some people in Washington,” but he did not say which country. He also did not identify any federal official involved in the case.

The relationship was described through LePage’s family: the man is his son’s wife’s father. LePage did not publicly identify him by name. His remarks supplied his characterization of the man’s circumstances, rather than an account of the underlying immigration proceedings.

The comment about the country’s standing in Washington was presented as LePage’s explanation for why the relative was being deported. He did not name a policy, decision-maker or other specific basis for that allegation.

LePage made the comments during his congressional campaign

LePage is a former Maine governor and the Republican nominee for Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District seat. The remarks were made September 21–22, 2026, during the Augusta event where he accepted the police organization’s endorsement.

At the event, he paired his criticism of the relative’s reported deportation with a broader statement about immigration enforcement. His position recognized that officers enforce the law while advocating that they direct their attention toward gang members and criminals.

The final point in his remarks was about that enforcement responsibility: “And they have a job to do.”