'Operation Catch of the Day': 1,400 people under radar as ICE launches enforcement push in Maine

ICE agents in Maine appear to be targeting people they’ve identified ahead of time, rather than patrolling neighborhoods, Portland Mayor Mark Dion said.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched an operation in Maine this week, targeting another state with a significant Somali population following a surge in deportation activity and protests in Minnesota.

Local officials in Portland and Lewiston, Maine’s largest cities, say they’ve received reports about an increased presence of ICE agents on their streets (AP)

The enforcement spike began on Tuesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which dubbed the effort “Operation Catch of the Day,” likely a reference to Maine’s seafood industry. ICE is targeting 1,400 people in Maine, Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde told Fox News on Tuesday.

Local officials in Portland and Lewiston, Maine’s largest cities, say they’ve received reports about an increased presence of ICE agents on their streets. So far, ICE agents in Maine appear to be targeting people they’ve identified ahead of time, rather than patrolling neighborhoods in large numbers, Portland Mayor Mark Dion said at a press conference Wednesday, citing conversations with other state officials.

In Portland, residents have reported seeing groups of three to five agents “at targeted locations,” city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said. Administrators at two of Portland’s schools briefly locked their entrances on Tuesday after hearing about immigration enforcement activity on a nearby street. At some schools, attendance this week is down by roughly 15% to 20%, according to the city’s school district.

“This is a war of terror that’s being waged on our city by the federal government,” Portland City Councilor Wesley Pelletier said. “I’ve seen people of all ages being thrown on the ground and thrown into trucks.”

Immigrants make up about 4% of the population in Maine, with Canadians the most significant contingent in the state, according to the American Immigration Council. Estimates of the current number of Somali residents vary but the population is well-established, dating back to the early 2000s when the US welcomed refugees from the East African country. The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants.

“In moments like this, what matters most is how we show up for one another and that we remember who we are and what we stand for as Mainers: the rule of law, the right to peacefully protest and compassion for our neighbors,” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement.

Ahead of the operation, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows declined a request from US Customs and Border Protection for additional confidential, undercover license plates for their vehicles. The state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles has paused issuance of new plates to the agency until Maine officials receive assurance that they won’t be used for “lawless purposes,” Bellows said in an interview. No such commitments have been made by the Trump administration, she said.

Bellows said she made the decision to withhold additional confidential license plates because of ICE’s actions in Minnesota and Illinois. “The tactics I have seen on videos shared with me today are deeply concerning,” she added.

Bellows, a Democrat, is among those seeking to become Maine’s next governor with Janet Mills set to hit term limits after eight years in the role.

Protest activity in Maine has increased over the past week amid reports of an expected ICE surge, echoing demonstrations in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota city has become a focal point of protests over ICE tactics after an officer shot and killed Renee Good on Jan. 7 while she was in her car. Social media is filled with residents’ recordings of ICE agents using extraordinary force against people, including yelling at them, spraying chemical agents or pushing them to the ground.

The Trump administration is taking steps to significantly increase the number of law enforcement agents and potentially send military personnel to Minneapolis. In Maine, federal officials are warning protesters to remain peaceful.

“In the coming days, if Maine citizens seek to exercise their rights to assemble and protest, it is vital that these protests remain peaceful,” Andrew Benson, the US attorney for the district of Maine, said in a Monday statement. “Anyone who forcibly assaults or impedes a federal law enforcement officer, willfully destroys government property, or unlawfully obstructs federal law enforcement activity commits a federal crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”