With immigration enforcement ramping up operations in the Pine Tree State this past week, a flurry of information on arrests, protests, and reactions have come out. We here at WGAN want to break it down so far.

The Arrests

The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that over 100 people have been arrested since launching what they call “Operation Catch of The Day” this past week, saying they’re targeting “the worst of the worst”. Those arrested have come from a variety of backgrounds, including civil engineer Juan Sebastian Carvajal-Munoz, single mother of 4 Micheline Ntumba, and a pair of correctional officers working for the York and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Offices.

Despite the arrests, multiple groups have claimed the vast majority of newly-detained immigrants have no criminal record. That fits with national trends according to Anna Welch, director of the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Maine School of Law.

“Most of the people being arrested in Maine so far are not folks with criminal records. They are asylum seekers. They are people who have followed our immigration laws. They have applied for asylum. They have received work permits,” Welch said.

Welch added that it’s hard to get a full picture, because ICE is not sharing much information about who they’re arresting and why.

The Protests

Protests over ICE’s actions have occurred in Maine since the beginning of President Trump’s second term but ramped up after the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. And with ICE’s increased activity in Southern Maine this past week, protests have only intensified despite the cold weather.

On Friday night, hundreds of demonstrators in Portland marched up and down Congress Street demanding an end to ICE operations in Maine.

“This is a small enough city where we’re pretty tight-knit,” Windham resident Colby Howland told The Portland Press Herald. “It’s not going to go well here for this type of enforcement: people are going to record; people are going to protest peacefully. We care about our community members here.”

Another protest later that evening ended in 6 people getting arrested for disorderly conduct. The protest involved a loud demonstration outside of hotels in downtown Portland that ICE agents are believed to be lodging in.

The hotels have not confirmed or denied whether or not ICE agents are staying there.

In contrast, Maine Republicans who support ICE’s actions have asked opponents to tone down the rhetoric. That includes Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who said officers in Maine don’t hide their identities by wearing masks.

“Let me be very clear: ICE agents are federal law enforcement officers,” Assistant House Republican Leader Katrina Smith said. “They take an oath. They operate under federal authority. And they show up to work knowing that rhetoric alone can make them a target. You can oppose immigration policy without turning the people enforcing the law into enemies.”

Other Reactions

The recent ICE push has divided Maine’s congressional delegation as well. 

On one side, 2nd District Representative Jared Golden and Senator Susan Collins have both supported efforts by ICE, with Golden recently voting for a bill that would add $10 billion to ICE’s budget. Golden defended the vote by saying the bill would’ve impacted funding for various public safety agencies.

“Failure to fund DHS would undermine public safety and emergency response services,” Golden said in a statement. “To me, that was never an option. By engaging in the process, rather than blocking it, we secured funding for body cameras and de-escalation training — two proven tactics embraced by law enforcement agencies across the country — that I believe will support responsible law enforcement and begin to restore trust.”

In contrast, 1st District Representative Chellie Pingree and Senator Angus King have been critical of ICE’s approach, with Pingree writing a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem this past Thursday.

“You state that you are no longer allowing American citizens to be terrorized, yet that is exactly what your agents are doing: terrorizing everyday Americans for practicing their legal rights,” Pingree wrote to Noem. “This, yet again, suggests your operation was never intended to be a targeted enforcement activity, but rather an attempt to sow confusion, disrupt daily life, and create a pervasive atmosphere of cruelty.”

Local law enforcement has also spoken out about ICE’s actions, with Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce saying that ICE is “bush-league policing” when they arrested a correctional officer this past Wednesday and left his vehicle unsecured with the lights on.

DHS has since rebuked Joyce’s comments, saying that the recruitment of officers “takes sanctuary city to a whole new level”.

The Future

It’s currently unclear how long ICE plans to stay in Maine, though according to Fox News, they’re going after around 1,400 people statewide.

In the meantime, ICE detainees have reportedly been moved from the Cumberland County Jail to other facilities following Sheriff Joyce’s comments on ICE’s conduct. There hasn’t been any word on what facilities they’re being transferred to.

Legal action against the DHS is reportedly being taken as well, with members of Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law suing over supposed breaches of the 4th amendment.

“The Fourth Amendment says that people have the right to be secure in their homes, and it seems like that is not always happening,” local lawyer and protester Jennifer Wriggins told CBS 13. “I do believe that immigration laws should be enforced, but I don’t believe they should be enforced in ways that violate the Constitution.”

“You cannot enter someone’s home without a lawful warrant that’s been signed by a judge, not a piece of paper that’s been signed by an agency that says we can come in,” protester Stacey Mondschin Katz said.