Suspect arrested in Portland immigrant center break-in
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a break-in at the Portland Immigrant Welcome Center over the weekend that forced the nonprofit to temporarily close some of its facilities as staff members assess the damage and try to restore normalcy.
"It's not what I expected going in to work today," Danny Muller, the organization's deputy director, told Mainebiz by phone on Monday evening. "We're cleaning up quite a mess."
As of late Monday, staff members were still taking stock of what was damaged and missing from the office, located at 24 Preble St. near Monument Square.
"Furniture was overthrown, paper files were dumped everywhere, graffiti was everywhere, we had some stuff out for the holidays, and we have some missing electronics," Muller said.
Missing items include a desktop computer, pieces of clothing, food and beverages, he noted.
"We don't fully know what has been stolen as of yet," he said.
Staff members hope to reopen the office on Thursday.
In a statement emailed to Mainebiz on Tuesday, the Portland Police Dept. said that 56-year-old Brian McMahon, an unhoused individual, was arrested and charged with burglary, criminal mischief and criminal trespass to a locked or barred structure as well as violating conditions of release and drug possession.
"There is no indication that it was a bias-related incident in any way," according to the statement.
The break-in caused significant damage to the organization's fourth-four space, including every office and the Language Lab.
"At this time, there is not a strong indication that the motive was related to us being an immigrant-focused organization," the center said in an emailed statement. "We are currently determining what has been stolen and repairing items that were damaged or defaced. Thankfully, much of our equipment appears to be intact."
The break-in was reported to police as soon as it was discovered, Muller said.
He also said the situation could have been a lot worse, and pales in comparison to some of the hardships faced by other immigrant organizations and communities in light of the national political climate.
Eye on reopening
The damage requires thorough cleanup and sanitization, which Muller expects to be completed in time for the center to re-open as scheduled after the Christmas holiday.
"I'm pretty confident that we'll reopen on Thursday," he said.
Muller's ask of Maine's business community: "If there's a business out there who wants to help, send us an email and we'll get back to you and hopefully find ways we could work together."
The crime comes a few months after Executive Director Faisal Khan resigned after less than a year in the role. The center had been planning to send out an announcement about his departure when the break-in was discovered.
The center employs around 20 staff members and supports immigrants via English-language instruction, some of which are in partnership with employers such as MaineHealth. It also offers programming for entrepreneurs and assistance with food security and nutrition.
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