Federal operation sparks fear and controversy
Maine has been shaken by a sweeping immigration enforcement operation launched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration, raising fears among residents and igniting political controversy ahead of November’s midterm elections. The operation, dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day,” began on January 21 and was described by federal officials as targeting “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
Critics, however, say the enforcement action has caused widespread fear, racial profiling allegations, and economic disruption in the state known as Vacationland. Maine, which remains the whitest state in the U.S., has a relatively small immigrant population of roughly 56,000 people, about 4% of its residents.
Senator Collins under pressure
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who faces a difficult re-election race in a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, said she requested that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem end the operation. Collins claimed the enforcement effort was halted, but many residents and labor leaders dispute that assertion.
“You can’t turn a tiger into a vegetarian,” said Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO, arguing that ICE activity has continued despite official assurances. Workers and unions report that people of color are limiting travel, missing work, and relying on informal support networks out of fear of detention.
Accounts of alleged racial profiling
Several residents described encounters with ICE agents that they say amount to racial profiling. Kelli Brennan, a nurse in Portland, said she and a co-worker who is a naturalized U.S. citizen were followed by ICE officers on their way to work. She claimed one officer mocked her after she briefly filmed the interaction.
Construction worker Derek Ellis recounted witnessing ICE agents detain a Black woman in a grocery store parking lot as she shouted that she was a U.S. citizen while her child screamed from a car seat. “That was just straight-up racial profiling,” Ellis said.
Economic and workplace impact
Labor organizers say ICE activity has had a chilling effect on Maine’s economy. According to local advocates, hundreds of workers have been detained and thousands have sheltered in place, disrupting construction, healthcare, and education sectors. Detentions often occur while people are commuting to or from work, unions say.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition reported that ICE detentions in the state increased significantly in 2025 compared with the previous year, with many detainees lacking criminal records.
Federal response and political stakes
The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of racial profiling, saying enforcement actions are based on “reasonable suspicion” under the Fourth Amendment. Officials declined to confirm whether the Maine operation had been suspended and defended the overall approach as necessary for public safety.
Democratic challengers seeking to unseat Collins, including Governor Janet Mills and Graham Platner, have sharply criticized ICE’s tactics. Recent polling shows Collins as one of the most unpopular senators in the country, making the controversy a potential factor in Republicans’ fight to retain Senate control.