Back in Lewiston, the courthouse crowd thinned as dusk flattened the sky into a single gray tone.
Snow drifted across sidewalks. Families waiting for updates slipped phones into coat pockets and began walking back toward Lisbon Street.
Storefronts glowed normally. Traffic moved without disruption. A man stepped out of Saciid-Cisse’s grocery store balancing a bag of rice and a case of soda, paused, and laughed briefly at something someone said off-camera.
Inside apartments and kitchens across the neighborhood, conversations turned toward backup plans — which relatives might offer temporary housing, which documents needed to stay close, which phone numbers should be memorized.
Some Somali residents interviewed by the Boston Globe described the emotional result as displacement without relocation, calling it “collective un-homing.”²
Night settled early, as it does in Maine winters. Streetlights reflected off fresh snow covering the afternoon’s footprints. Families returned home carrying groceries, children tugging scarves loose as they stepped through apartment doors.
Later, after the courthouse lights had gone dark, someone stepped outside, glanced down at a silent phone, and stood there for a moment before going back inside.
Biibliography
1. WBUR. “Immigrant Communities in Lewiston Brace for Immigration Enforcement.” January 30, 2026.
2. The Boston Globe. “Fear in Maine Somali Communities.” January 20, 2026.
3. Reuters. “U.S. Ends Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, Deploys Immigration Agents.” January 13, 2026.
4. Associated Press. “Somali Childcare Centers Targeted After Viral Allegations.” February 1, 2026.
5. Rev. “Donald Trump Minneapolis Rally Speech Transcript.” October 10, 2019.
6. The Guardian. “Trump Links Somali Migrants to Minnesota Security Concerns.” November 6, 2016.
7. Reuters. “Trump Says U.S. Will Revoke Citizenship of Some Naturalized Immigrants.” January 13, 2026.
8. Axios. “Stephen Miller Outlines Mass Deportation Plan.” December 9, 2024.
9. Stephen Miller, X Post. October 2023.
10. Springfield News-Sun. “One Year Ago, Springfield Made International Headlines Over Haitian Immigration.” September 19, 2025.
11. Springfield News-Sun. “Springfield Man Talks About Fear Haitians Face.” September 14, 2024.
12. The Guardian. “Haitian Community in Ohio Shrinks Amid Immigration Fear.” February 3, 2026.
13. National Park Service historical documentation on the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears.