A Cumberland County corrections officer was detained this week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and some county officials say the federal agency isn’t telling the truth about the circumstances of his apprehension.

Billy Bassikissa Bounguiena, who works at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, was detained by ICE on Tuesday. Neighbors say he was detained at his home in South Portland, where videos show several unmarked cruisers and agents apprehending him.

He is in custody at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, where he was moved Thursday after initially being held at the Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire. Friends described him as an asylum seeker and community leader whose detention has rocked the Congolese community.

Attorneys representing Bassikissa Bounguiena were not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said staff learned about the apprehension Tuesday morning. He said Bassikissa Bounguiena had a valid work permit and no criminal history.

“He is a great employee, well-liked, and continuously works 40-70 hours per week,” Joyce said in a written statement.

Since April 2025, two other Cumberland County corrections officers have been detained by immigration authorities.

In January, after Joyce criticized the circumstances of one officer’s detention, ICE removed its detainees from the Cumberland County Jail altogether. That ended a yearslong agreement between the agency and the jail to house federal detainees, which previously brought the county millions of dollars in annual revenue.

ALLEGATIONS FROM ICE

Immigration officials said in a statement that Bassikissa Bounguiena, who is originally from the Republic of the Congo, was arrested Tuesday “during targeted operations in South Portland.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement that he entered the country with an F-1 visa on Nov. 15, 2015, which was valid through Dec. 4 of that year. The spokesperson did not respond to further questions about his immigration status or visa.

ICE spokespeople also accused Bassikissa Bounguiena of having a criminal history because he was arrested for domestic violence assault. But county officials say that’s a misrepresentation.

Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris confirmed that Bassikissa Bounguiena was arrested by Portland police in March 2019 after being accused of domestic violence assault, but she said no charges were ever filed against him. She said describing that incident as a part of his criminal history “is a lie that will not hold up in court.”

Sartoris said there was no physical contact during the alleged misdemeanor assault, in which he was accused of throwing something at a woman. Sartoris described the event as minor and said that “no favors were done here because of his immigration status.”

“This is going too far,” she said about ICE’s statement.

Joyce said in a statement that the Trump administration needs to be “truthful about its ‘mission’ regarding immigration enforcement.”

FRIENDS DISTRESSED BY NEWS

Friends of Bassikissa Bounguiena, known as Billy “Panushi,” is generous with his time and resources.

He’s been the president of the Congolese Brazzaville Community of Maine — an organization supporting new Mainers from the Republic of Congo — for five years, one year more than the typical tenure, said his friend Moise Kanga Mbella.

That’s how much he cares, Kanga Mbella said. 

The organization provides food and winter clothing to newcomers and connects them to resources like General Assistance. Friends say Bassikissa Bounguiena opens his home if someone doesn’t have a place to stay.

Another friend, Gael Taty, stayed with Bassikissa Bounguiena for two months while searching for an apartment.

“I didn’t pay a dime,” Taty said. 

The community group was devastated to learn that Bassikissa Bounguiena was detained. The organization is still providing services to the community, but it’s not the same without him, Kanga Mbella said. 

“When the leader is broken, the whole group has also fallen down,” Kanga Mbella said. 

Many in the Congolese community claim him as family.

“He’s my little brother,” Kanga Mbella said.

Staff Writer Teddy Almond contributed to this story.