Maine shaken by ICE raids as backlash threatens Republican Senate control

"Maine, the US's whitest state, has been shaken by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, a crackdown that could threaten Republican control of the Senate in November's crucial midterm elections. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents launched Operation Catch of the Day in the state on 21 January, targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who have terrorized communities, according to the administration."

"As critics said the operation had caused pain and suffering, Senator Susan Collins, a Republican facing a re-election this year in a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, claimed she spoke with Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, who told her the operation has ended at her request. But residents doubt Collins has defanged ICE and say the agency is still making its presence known and causing chaos in the bucolic state nicknamed Vacationland."

"I don't think anyone here has any trust that will be lasting, Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO, a state federation of more than 200 local labor unions in Maine. You can't turn a tiger into a vegetarian. Workers and labor unions in Maine claimed ICE is racially profiling people and has created an environment where people of color are under an occupation impeding their freedom of movement."

Maine experienced an ICE operation called Operation Catch of the Day on 21 January that targeted alleged criminal illegal aliens. The administration characterized the targets as 'the worst of the worst', while critics said the raids caused pain and suffering. Senator Susan Collins said she spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who reportedly agreed to end the operation at Collins's request, but residents report continued ICE visibility and chaos. Labor leaders and workers accused ICE of racial profiling and said people of color face restricted movement. A nurse in Portland described being followed by ICE officers and subjected to mocking comments and threats.

Read at www.theguardian.com