Demonstrators clash with ICE in Minneapolis, intensifying protests
Protests intensified in Minneapolis as thousands of people clashed with ICE over enforcement tactics following a fatal shooting.
Sen. Susan Collins announced on January 29 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ended its enhanced enforcement operations in Maine.
More than a week after the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Catch of the Day, an expansion of its deportation campaign over the objections of local officials, Collins said Secretary Kristi Noem told her that “ICE has ended its enhanced operations in Maine.”
“Currently, there are no large-scale ICE operations underway or planned here,” Collins said in a social media post early Monday morning.
USA TODAY has reached out to DHS and ICE for comment.
Collins said he had “urged” Noem and other Trump administration officials to “reconsider their approach” to ICE in Maine. ICE and Customs and Border Protection will resume normal operations that have existed for years in the state, he said.
DHS said it launched the operation on January 20, targeting “the worst of the worst criminals, illegal aliens, who terrorize our communities.” The department accused Maine Gov. Janet Mills and local officials of a “sanctuary” policy.
The news comes as the Trump administration comes under renewed scrutiny over the weekend shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Preti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tensions remain high in the state, with President Trump suggesting a “detente” may be on the horizon.
Contributor: Christopher Kang
