ICE Launches 'Catch of the Day' in Maine; Gov. Janet Mills Demands Warrants
DHS reports about 50 arrests on day one and says roughly 1,400 people are targets, while Maine officials demand warrants and details.
Overview
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched Operation "Catch of the Day" in Maine this week, and DHS said about 50 arrests were made on the first day, officials said.
The operation focuses on roughly 1,400 targets in a state of 1.4 million residents with 4% foreign-born, prompting Governor Janet Mills to demand warrants and real-time arrest counts at a news conference.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said ICE arrested a corrections officer recruit whose I-9 showed work authorization through 2029, calling the detention inconsistent with the stated focus on serious criminal records.
Portland Public Schools reported student-absence rates 11 percentage points above the January average and more than 20 points at some schools, while the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition said hotline calls spiked, officials and advocates said.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and ICE deputy assistant director Patricia Hyde defended arrests as targeting "the worst of the worst," but federal agencies did not provide full detention locations or detailed case lists when asked.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the operation as opaque and heavy-handed, prioritizing officials' and immigrants' concerns while highlighting DHS silence and discrepancies with ICE claims. Editorial choices—leading with “secret arrests,” foregrounding fear and emotional testimony, and relegating ICE’s justification to a brief, later note—cast enforcement as questionable and harmful.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Operation 'Catch of the Day' is a DHS and ICE immigration enforcement action launched in Maine targeting approximately 1,400 criminal illegal migrants, described as 'the worst of the worst' with convictions like aggravated assault and child endangerment.
DHS and ICE reported nearly 50 arrests on the first day, a significant increase from the average of 24 per month the previous year.
Governor Janet Mills demanded warrants, real-time arrest counts, and details, while coordinating with local officials; DHS criticized her and Maine sanctuary policies for prioritizing criminals over citizens.
Portland schools saw student absences up 11-20 percentage points, streets and businesses in Portland and Lewiston emptied due to fear, and immigrant hotline calls spiked; one case involved arresting a corrections officer recruit with valid work authorization.
Examples include Dominic Ali (Sudanese, false imprisonment, aggravated assault), Ambessa Berhe (Ethiopian, aggravated assault, cocaine possession), Elmara Correia (Angolan, endangering welfare of a child), and Dany Lopez-Cortez (Guatemalan, OUI).
History
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