PORTLAND (AP) – Federal anti-terrorism efforts following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have raised the level of fear among Muslims and other immigrants and refugees in Maine, according to a report released Thursday.

The study by the University of Southern Maine’s Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence said fear has grown despite a drop in Muslim-targeted hate crimes from levels immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

“We found that the anxiety level and fear level among a broad group of immigrants and refugees – Muslims, Latinos and African Christians – is actually higher today than it was in the weeks and months after Sept. 11,” said Stephen Wessler, the center’s director.

Much of the anxiety was shaped by worries over the prospect of deportation to one’s country of origin, a place from which many immigrants and refugees fled out of concern for personal safety, Wessler said.

The 62-page report, titled “The Fractured American Dream,” was highly critical of the USA Patriot Act, saying it enhanced the government’s powers to investigate and detain people while undermining basic civil liberties.

Wessler, who authored the report, said its findings were based on more than 90 interviews conducted from July through October with immigrants, refugees and social service providers. Many interviewees were terrified to talk and agreed only because their names were kept confidential, he said.

Among the fears detailed in the report were:

• A reluctance by victims of domestic violence or minor traffic accidents to get in touch with police because they think it might lead to problems with immigration authorities;

• Concerns about whether it is safe to converse at home because phones may be tapped or rooms bugged;

• Worries about government surveillance or infiltration of mosques, which has led to a decline in the number of people attending services.

The report also found that Muslims continue to be subject to bias incidents ranging from catcalls aimed at Somalis walking Lewiston sidewalks to rude behavior from retail clerks.

U.S. Attorney Paula Silsby said the Department of Justice has acted aggressively in prosecuting cases of violence against Muslims.

“Whatever fears are being experienced by the Muslim community in Maine are fears that have nothing to do with the lack of aggressive enforcement by the Justice Department with respect to any violence or threats of violence,” she said.

As for fears of deportation, Silsby emphasized the distinction between immigrants and refugees “who are here legally and those who might have a questionable immigration status or might be here illegally.”

“Clearly, to anyone in this country illegally, I can understand why there would be concerns,” she said.

Immigration status can often be murky, and with lengthy case backlogs and changes in the law it is not uncommon for people to be unaware about their own situations, Wessler said.

While there is no firm figure on the number of immigrants and refugees in Maine, Beth Stickney of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project said she uses a range of 45,000 to 65,000.

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