Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ended its enhanced enforcement operations in Maine, Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday, after what she described as direct communication with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
In a post on X, Collins said the Department of Homeland Security does not confirm law enforcement operations, but that Noem told her ICE’s “enhanced activities” in Maine have ended. Collins added that there are “no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations” in the state.
Collins said she had been urging Noem and other administration officials to reconsider the approach to immigration enforcement in Maine and thanked the secretary for what she called personal attention to the situation. She said ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue routine operations that have been in place for years.
The announcement follows Collins’ comments a day earlier, when she said she spoke with the White House and Noem about ICE activity and asked for a pause in operations in both Maine and Minnesota. In that earlier message, she said enforcement should be reviewed and “far more targeted,” and also called for an independent investigation into the shooting death of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti, citing heightened tensions and the need to improve trust and safety.
Collins said she will continue working with Noem on efforts to combat illegal immigration, drug smuggling and other transnational criminal activity.
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