PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — Senator Susan Collins (R – Maine) claims ICE is ending its enhanced operations in Maine.
Collins says this announcement comes after she communicated several times with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“While the Department of Homeland Security does not confirm law enforcement operations, I can report that Secretary Noem has informed me that ICE has ended its enhanced activities in the State of Maine,” said Senator Collins. “There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state. I appreciate the Secretary’s willingness to listen to and consider my recommendations and her personal attention to the situation in Maine. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years. I will continue to work with the Secretary on efforts to end illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other transnational criminal activity.”
Protesters rally against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Department of Homeland Security said they were working to arrest 1,400 people in Maine who they said are here illegally. DHS labeled the effort “Operation Catch of the Day.”
So far, DHS claims they made over 200 arrests since increasing operations in Maine last week.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement in response to reports that the DHS has ended “Operation Catch of the Day” in Maine, saying in part:
“I cannot independently confirm this announcement because the Department of Homeland Security has not provided my office with basic information about this operation, despite repeated requests for weeks.If these enhanced operations have in fact ceased, that may reduce the visible federal presence in our state. But I think it is important that people understand what we saw during this operation: individuals who are legally allowed to be in the United States, whether by lawful presence or an authorized period of stay, following the rules, and being detained anyway.That is not limited to this one operation. That has been the pattern of this Administration’s immigration enforcement over the past year, and there is no indication that policy has changed.The unfortunate reality is, ending this surge and removing additional officers does not mean a return to how immigration enforcement functioned in Maine ‘for many years.’ What we have seen over the past year is radically different. The standard now appears to be broad, aggressive detentions and removals that do not distinguish between people who are here unlawfully, and people who are awaiting decisions on pending cases or have another valid status.”Comment with Bubbles
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This story will be updated.
