Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told her large-scale ICE operations in Maine have ended and there are currently no planned operations for the future.
“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,” Collins said in a statement on X.
The Trump administration launched what it called “Operation Catch of the Day” on Jan. 20, saying it had surged resources to the state to crack down on undocumented immigrants. Collins and other Maine officials, including Democratic senatorial candidate and Gov. Janet Mills, had urged ICE to end the operation.
Collins said Thursday that she had told Noem the department should “reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state.”
“ICE and Customs and Border Patrol will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years,” Collins said in the statement. “I will continue to work with the Secretary on efforts to end illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other transnational criminal activity.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm or deny Collins’ statement.
“DHS will continue to enforce the law across the country, as we do every day,” a spokesperson said when asked about the operations in Maine.
In Maine, there have been reports of intimidation of people observing and protesting the operations. In one instance, a federal agent shot projectiles at a car in a Home Depot parking lot, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Collins previously said that she spoke with the White House and Noem on Monday and asked them to pause operations in both Maine and Minnesota.
“I have also called for an independent investigation into the tragic shooting of Alex Pretti. At this time of heightened tensions, these steps are necessary to help improve trust, accountability, and safety,” Collins said in a Tuesday statement.
Collins has dodged questions about whether she has confidence in Noem as secretary of DHS or if Noem should remain as DHS secretary.
This article has been updated to add a statement from DHS and to correct that Collins’ previous statement was on Tuesday.
