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Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said on Thursday the Trump administration informed her that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had ended its “enhanced operations” in Maine.
“U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ceased its enhanced operations in the State of Maine. The announcement comes after several direct communications between Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Senator Collins,” a press release read.
“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.
“There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state. I appreciate the Secretary’s willingness to listen to and consider my recommendations and her personal attention to the situation in Maine. ICE and Customs and Border Protection will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years. I will continue to work with the Secretary on efforts to end illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other transnational criminal activity,” she added.
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.
There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. I… https://t.co/kwWVYl7baV
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) January 29, 2026
More from The New York Times:
Ms. Collins, a Republican who is up for re-election this year in a competitive state, has faced repeated calls from Maine Democrats to forcefully oppose President Trump. Her Democratic challengers in the Senate race include Gov. Janet Mills and a progressive newcomer, Graham Platner, who had planned to lead protests on Thursday at Senator Collins’ offices in Portland and Bangor, calling for her to vote against increasing federal funding for ICE operations.
The Department of Homeland Security said last week that it was targeting 1,400 “criminal illegal aliens” in Maine. On Thursday, ICE said that it had made 206 arrests in the state over five days, “despite the organized efforts from activist groups, radical politicians and protesters to thwart our activities.”
Officials in Maine said some of those detained did not have criminal records.
In a statement, the governor called on the federal government to release details about those arrested in Maine, including their identities, their whereabouts, and plans for resolving their cases.
“What we saw during this operation: individuals who are legally allowed to be in the United States, whether by lawful presence or an authorized period of stay, following the rules, and being detained anyway,” Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) commented, according to Maine Morning Star.
“That is not limited to this one operation. That has been the pattern of this Administration’s immigration enforcement over the past year, and there is no indication that policy has changed,” she added.
ICE launched “Operation Catch of the Day” last week to target the “worst of worst criminal illegal aliens across Maine.”
ICE Launches “Operation Catch of the Day” Targeting the Worst of Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Across Maine | Homeland Securityhttps://t.co/RO3WzDZC4G pic.twitter.com/Dafp4nSv3N
— ICE Boston (@EROBoston) January 22, 2026
Maine Morning Star shared further:
In Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a must-pass spending bill because it did not include specific reforms to federal immigration enforcement, including a ban on masks, the end of roving patrols, tightening the rules governing the use of warrants, and coordination between ICE and state and local law enforcement, among others.
As Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has been central to the effort to put a spending package together that could pass both chambers by Jan. 31, or risk another government shutdown.
The original version of the spending package, without the reforms, already passed the U.S. House with Golden among the handful of Democrats to vote in support.