Maine is seeing an increase in immigration enforcement activity this week. The state's secretary of state has responded by declining to issue more undercover license plates for federal immigration officers.
In their words: Trump’s threats over Greenland draw warnings and profanities at global forumForecasters warn of a 'potentially catastrophic' storm from Texas to the CarolinasIRS head announces a shake-up on eve of 2026 tax seasonAlberto Mendoza announces transfer from Indiana to Georgia Tech following national titleBrooklyn Beckham accuses David and Victoria of putting branding before family and sabotaging weddingAP Entertainment WireWall Street rebounds after Trump announces the framework for a deal on Greenland, calls off tariffsA set of handprints on cave walls represent the oldest rock art uncovered yetCalifornia homeowner rolls out 'unwelcome' mat for black bear living under his houseChicken wings advertised as 'boneless' can have bones, Ohio Supreme Court decidesNew diet guidelines say to double up on protein, but nutrition experts are waryLetter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen timeHow this AP photographer captured Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's iconic kissMeteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blastThe US is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status.
Here's why that mattersNew diet guidelines say to double up on protein, but nutrition experts are waryUS ice cream makers say they'll stop using artificial dyes by 2028One Tech Tip: Don't use rice for your device. Here's how to dry out your smartphoneLetter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen timeLive Updates: Trump backs off tariffs over Greenland after NATO security talksThe Afternoon WireCanadian man posed as a pilot and flight attendant to get hundreds of free flights, authorities sayAir Force One returns to Washington area due to minor electrical issue, White House saysNo. 1 Indiana tops final AP Top 25 football poll of season as Big Ten's title run reaches 3 straightMusic Review: Megadeth is going out on top with ferocious self-titled final albumWall Street rebounds after Trump announces the framework for a deal on Greenland, calls off tariffsA set of handprints on cave walls represent the oldest rock art uncovered yetCalifornia homeowner rolls out 'unwelcome' mat for black bear living under his houseChicken wings advertised as 'boneless' can have bones, Ohio Supreme Court decidesNew diet guidelines say to double up on protein, but nutrition experts are waryLetter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen timeHow this AP photographer captured Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's iconic kissMeteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blastThe US is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status. Here's why that mattersNew diet guidelines say to double up on protein, but nutrition experts are waryUS ice cream makers say they'll stop using artificial dyes by 2028One Tech Tip: Don't use rice for your device. Here's how to dry out your smartphoneLetter writing enjoys a revival as fans seek connection and a break from screen timeBuildings on the working waterfront catch the early morning light, Feb. 26, 2025, in Portland, Maine. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. Buildings on the working waterfront catch the early morning light, Feb. 26, 2025, in Portland, Maine. Buildings on the working waterfront catch the early morning light, Feb. 26, 2025, in Portland, Maine. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. PORTLAND, Maine — The Trump administration is now targeting Maine in its mass deportation campaign, a state with relatively few residents in the United States illegally but a notable presence refugees in its largest cities, particularly from Africa. Reports of immigration arrests over the last week have struck fear in immigrant communities of Portland and Lewiston and prompted backlash from Gov. Janet Mills and other Democrats, including a refusal to help ICE agents obscure the identity of their vehicles by issueing undercover license plates. The Department of Homeland Security named the operation “Catch of the Day,” an apparent play on Maine’s seafood industry, just as it has done for other enforcement surges, like “Metro Surge” in Minnesota and “Midway Blitz” in Chicago. The department’s arrest target of 1,000 Maine residents, reported by Fox News Channel, would make it a significant operation but far from the largest. Somali immigration into Maine accelerated in the early 2000s, and the state now has one of the highest percentages of Somali residents in the country. Immigrants and asylum seekers from other countries followed.“Our schools have seen about a quarter of immigrants not showing up,” Ali said, and many fear going to work as well: “There are immigrants who live here who work in our hospitals, they work in our schools, they work in our hotels, they are part of the economic engine of our community.” ICE agents don’t need to spread trauma by smashing doors and windows, he said: “The federal government has the ability to contact these people without unleashing fear into our communities.”ICE didn’t respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the agency’s plans for Maine, where U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that increased enforcement began on Tuesday. ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde“We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state. On the first day of operations, we arrested illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child,” said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a longtime opponent of President Donald Trump, said state officials received a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for confidential, undercover Maine license plates and decided against issuing them. The licenses plates are used on unmarked vehicles and Bellows said she wants more assurance they will be used appropriately. ICE’s use of license plates in other states has raised concerns: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, issued a warning to ICE agents last year that swapping or altering license plates is illegal. “These requests in light of rumors of ICE deployment to Maine and abuses of power in Minnesota and elsewhere raise concerns. We have not revoked existing plates but have paused issuance of new plates. We want to be assured that Maine plates will not be used for lawless purposes,” Bellows said.from the state’s ballot, arguing that Trump had engaged in insurrection in violation of the 14th Amendment. More recently, she has refused to hand over the state’s Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request seeking comment, but a top Maine Republican said withholding the undercover plates would jeopardize public safety. “That really, one, puts us at odds as a state. Puts us at one end of an extreme that we really shouldn’t be on,” Senate Leader Trey Stewart said. Maine’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Andrew Benson joined Democrats in calling for any demonstrations in the state to remain peaceful and civil. Benson, a Trump appointee, warned people to stay out of the agents’ way or be prosecuted.Gov. Mills has pushed back, as have mayors, school district leaders and numerous community organizations. Mills said aggressive enforcement actions that undermine civil rights are “not welcome.” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said ICE enforcement has been causing “anxiety, fear or uncertainty” for many. Portland Mayor Mark Dion and the city’s school district issued statements acknowledging it’s a nervous time for many. “There is no evidence of unchecked criminal activity in our community requiring a disproportionate presence of federal agents,” Dion said.Portland Public Schools, the largest and most diverse school district in the state, said in a statement Wednesday that it conducted a “lockout” at two schools to prevent anyone from entering the building during the school day Tuesday because of concerns about ICE activity nearby. “It was quickly determined that there was no threat to our school communities and the lockouts were lifted within minutes. This is an understandably tense time in our community, as reports and rumors of immigration enforcement actions grow,” the district’s statement said.“The Trump administration has deployed ICE agents to Portland, Lewiston, and possibly other Maine communities. This is not about public safety. It is about fear, control, and political theater,” Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said in a statement Wednesday.
Janet Mills Shenna Bellows Maine Minnesota-ICE Crackdown Patricia Hyde Portland Immigration Lewiston Anxiety U.S. Department Of Homeland Security General News Domestic News ME State Wire Send To Apple News Mental Health Tricia Mclaughlin Politics Mark Dion Andrew Benson U.S. News Carl Sheline Alexi Giannoulias Renee Good U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement U.S. News
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