U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday that it arrested 206 people in Maine last week, the first week of an enhanced immigration operation that Sen. Susan Collins says has since ended.
In a news release Thursday, the federal agency criticized Maine residents and local politicians for attempting to “thwart” agents’ activities while touting the apprehensions as an overall success.
ICE’s newest statement highlighted 10 people accused of criminal activity whom the agency said it arrested between Jan. 20 and 24, though it stopped short of saying everyone arrested during the surge had committed crimes.
Those 10 people are accused of violations ranging from aggravated assault to operating under the influence of alcohol.
The agency contends “Operation Catch of the Day” only targeted criminals, though community members and loved ones of several people who were detained without criminal records say that isn’t true.
Officials from ICE and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, have not responded to repeated requests for a comprehensive list of people arrested. They also wouldn’t confirm Thursday whether anyone was arrested after Jan. 24.
Collins, R-Maine, announced early Thursday morning that federal officials told her that the operation has ended but that ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue normal enforcement.
Community leaders and activists are urging Mainers to remain vigilant and cautious while they try to verify what that means.
ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde called the more than 200 apprehensions an “early success.”
“Our officers arrested more than 200 alien offenders in less than a week despite the organized efforts from activist groups, radical politicians and protestors to thwart our activities,” Hyde said in a statement. “ICE will not be deterred from enforcing U.S. immigration law.”
ICE also blamed people for interrupting agents’ work during the first week of the operation.
“On a few occasions, ICE officers were forced to pull away from criminal alien targets because of activists alerting the public to unmarked ICE vehicles. One such target was a known drug trafficker,” the release said.
