"Then came an immigration enforcement surge last month targeting some of Maine's largest and most diverse communities. Department of Homeland Security officials said the surge dubbed Operation Catch of the Day in an apparent pun on Maine's fishing heritage would target "the worst of the worst." But eyewitness reports, cellphone videos and news reports suggested the masked, heavily armed agents were taking a much broader reach."
"A nearly 30-year Senate veteran, Collins holds arguably one of the most influential positions in Congress as chair of the budget-writing Senate Appropriations Committee. In that role, Collins tried last month to negotiate a funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At that time, Collins said, she "kept pushing [Noem] to suspend and cease the enhanced operations in the state of Maine and she agreed to do so in response to my request.""
Susan Collins, a Republican senator in a state that did not back Donald Trump in 2024, was considered vulnerable entering the midterms. An immigration enforcement surge in Maine, dubbed Operation Catch of the Day, targeted some of the state's largest and most diverse communities. DHS said the operation would go after "the worst of the worst," but eyewitness reports and videos showed masked, heavily armed agents detaining a broader range of people. Arrests included a civil engineer from Colombia with a work permit, two asylum-seekers legally employed at county jails, and the father of an infant injured when agents broke a car window. Collins contacted Gov. Kristi Noem, called the branding offensive, and secured an agreement to suspend the enhanced operations.
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]