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Federal Immigration Enforcement Targets Maine Amid Local Pushback
The Trump administration has expanded its mass deportation campaign to Maine, launching an operation code-named “Catch of the Day” in a state with relatively small numbers of undocumented residents but significant African refugee communities in its largest cities.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that increased enforcement began Tuesday in Portland and Lewiston, Maine’s two most diverse urban centers. According to ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde, agents are targeting approximately 1,400 individuals in the state and had already made 50 arrests by Tuesday.
“We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state,” said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “On the first day of operations, we arrested illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.”
The operation’s name appears to reference Maine’s iconic seafood industry, following a pattern established in other regional enforcement surges like “Patriot” in Massachusetts, “Metro Surge” in Minnesota, and “Midway Blitz” in Chicago.
News of the enforcement action has sent waves of fear through immigrant communities and sparked strong resistance from state and local officials. Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, pushed back against the federal operation on Wednesday.
“If federal agents have warrants, they should show them,” Mills said. “But if they are separating parents who have committed no crime from their children, they are only sowing intimidation and fear and fostering division and suspicion among neighbors.”
In a significant move against the operation, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows denied a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for confidential, undercover Maine license plates for their vehicles. While not revoking existing plates, Bellows paused the issuance of new ones, citing concerns about potential misuse.
“These requests in light of rumors of ICE deployment to Maine and abuses of power in Minnesota and elsewhere raise concerns,” Bellows said. “We want to be assured that Maine plates will not be used for lawless purposes.”
Portland Mayor Mark Dion, joined by other local officials at a Wednesday news conference, emphasized their solidarity with immigrant residents. “While we respect the law, we challenge the need for a paramilitary approach,” Dion said. “This council doesn’t stand apart from our immigrant communities, we stand with them.”
Portland City Councilor Pious Ali, a native of Ghana, described the widespread anxiety in the community, noting that about a quarter of immigrant students have stopped attending school due to fear. “Our schools have seen about a quarter of immigrants not showing up,” Ali said, adding that many also fear going to work. “There are immigrants who live here who work in our hospitals, they work in our schools, they work in our hotels, they are part of the economic engine of our community.”
The Portland Public Schools district, where more than half the students are non-white, confirmed it briefly implemented “lockouts” at two schools on Tuesday due to concerns about nearby ICE activity. The district is developing an online learning plan to accommodate students afraid to attend in-person classes.
Community responses have been swift and organized. Councilor Wes Pelletier reported that business owners, teachers and college students have created networks to alert neighborhoods about enforcement activity, while volunteers deliver groceries and necessities to families afraid to leave their homes. Many businesses have posted signs declaring that ICE agents aren’t welcome on their premises.
“Every arrest feels like a wound to Portland,” Pelletier said.
The operation comes at a particularly tense time for ICE, which faces intensifying scrutiny in Minnesota following an agent’s fatal shooting of Renee Good during enforcement actions there.
Maine’s immigration enforcement push highlights the state’s changing demographics. Somali immigration accelerated in the early 2000s, giving Maine one of the highest Somali populations in the country proportionate to its size. Portland and Lewiston now have thousands of residents of African descent, contributing significantly to the workforce and cultural fabric of these communities.
Maine Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart criticized the state’s refusal to provide undercover license plates, arguing it puts the state “at odds” with federal law enforcement and “at one end of an extreme that we really shouldn’t be on.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Andrew Benson, a Trump appointee, joined calls for any demonstrations to remain peaceful while warning that those who interfere with federal agents would face prosecution.
The Maine Democratic Party framed the operation as politically motivated. “The Trump administration has deployed ICE agents to Portland, Lewiston, and possibly other Maine communities,” said Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson. “This is not about public safety. It is about fear, control, and political theater.”
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18 Comments
The timing of this ICE surge in Maine is interesting, coming amid the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement. Curious to see if this is part of a broader national strategy or a more localized response.
Good observation. The administration may be looking to expand its deportation efforts to new regions, even in states with relatively small undocumented populations. Local leaders will have to navigate this tricky political landscape.
Curious to see how local leaders in Maine respond to this increased ICE activity. Will they push back and defend their immigrant communities, or take a more compliant approach? The outcome could set an important precedent.
Good point. The local response will be crucial. Mayors and city councils will face tough decisions on how to handle this federal pressure while also protecting their vulnerable residents.
Appreciate that the article highlights the anxiety and fear this ICE crackdown is causing in Maine’s immigrant communities. Maintaining public trust and community relations should be a top priority, not heavy-handed tactics.
Absolutely. Enforcement actions that sow fear and erode community trust can be counterproductive in the long run, undermining public safety efforts. Nuanced, compassionate approaches are needed.
Interesting that this ‘Catch of the Day’ operation is specifically targeting Maine, a state not typically associated with major immigration issues. Curious to know more about the reasoning and data behind this decision.
Good point. Maine may not be a high-profile immigration hotspot, so this surge seems targeted and strategic. The federal government’s rationale for selecting Maine would be worth examining further.
Concerning that this ‘Catch of the Day’ operation is framed as going after the ‘worst of the worst’ – that language often gets used to justify heavy-handed tactics that end up harming innocent people. Hope Maine can find a more compassionate approach.
Well said. Inflammatory rhetoric about ‘criminal aliens’ tends to stoke fear and resentment, rather than addressing the complex realities of immigration. Nuance and empathy are needed here.
Targeting 1,400 individuals in Maine seems like an extremely broad dragnet. Unless ICE has solid evidence on all of them, this raises concerns about racial profiling and overzealous enforcement tactics.
Agree, that number seems very high for Maine’s relatively small undocumented population. Targeting specific criminals is one thing, but indiscriminate sweeps risk violating civil liberties.
The article notes that this ICE crackdown is happening despite Maine having relatively small numbers of undocumented residents. That raises concerns that enforcement is being driven more by politics than public safety priorities.
Agree, the scale of this operation in a state with a small undocumented population suggests it may be more about optics than substantive law enforcement. Maine’s leaders will need to push back firmly to protect their communities.
Concerning to hear about increased ICE activity in Maine. These enforcement operations often sow fear in immigrant communities, even when targeting those with criminal convictions. Careful approach needed to balance public safety with compassion.
I agree, there needs to be a delicate balance between enforcement and protecting the vulnerable. Immigrant communities already face significant challenges, so heavy-handed tactics can do more harm than good.
The name ‘Catch of the Day’ for this ICE operation seems rather flippant, trivializing the serious issues at hand. Deportation can have devastating impacts on families and communities – hope Maine finds a more humane approach.
Absolutely, the name choice is concerning and shows a lack of empathy. Enforcement should be done thoughtfully and with consideration for the human impacts.