PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s Democratic governor challenged federal immigration officials Thursday to provide warrants, real-time arrest numbers and basic information about who is being detained in a sweeping enforcement operation in her state, saying residents have been left largely in the dark as fear spreads through immigrant communities.
“If they have warrants, show the warrants. In America, we don’t believe in secret arrests or secret police,” Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference.
Mills said President Donald Trump’s office has not returned her calls regarding the operation launched this week, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dubbed “Catch of the Day.” Federal officials have said about 50 arrests were made the first day, and roughly 1,400 people are operational targets in mostly rural Maine, whose population is about 1.4 million, including 4% foreign-born.
The governor said her state is struggling to assess the scope or justification for the operation because of the lack of information. “Why Maine? Why now? What were the orders that came from above? Who’s giving the orders? We’ve reached out, we’ve asked questions. We have no answers,” Mills said. She also said she would be “shocked” if federal agents could substantiate claims of such a large number of people with criminal charges, saying, “Mostly we’re hearing reports of people who have not been engaged in criminal activity.”
Mills said the enforcement activity has heightened anxiety in Maine’s largest cities, including Portland and Lewiston, where there are sizable immigrant and refugee communities. She said school districts have gone “on alert,” particularly in Portland and Lewiston, and that some students have not been attending classes. She also said businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor have reported disruptions, adding, “People are being torn from their families and from young children, people who are part of the workforce here in Maine.”
Cristian Vaca, 28, an immigrant from Ecuador who lives in Biddeford, told The Associated Press in Spanish through a translator that ICE agents repeatedly threatened him during a visit to his home Wednesday. Vaca said he is in the United States legally and that he came in September 2023. He said he has a U.S. Social Security number, a work permit and pays income taxes, and he described noticing agents outside his home taking photos while he was on his couch.
Vaca said he took a video from inside the house showing an ICE agent speaking to him through his closed front door. Before turning away, the agent says, “We’re going to come back for your whole family, okay?” A child’s voice can be heard in the background.
Federal officials did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for updated arrest numbers and information about where detainees are being held. The Department of Homeland Security previously said the operation targets what it described as “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” citing arrests involving convictions for aggravated assault, false imprisonment and child endangerment.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce raised additional questions, saying ICE agents arrested one of his corrections officer recruits Wednesday evening in Portland despite the county having verified the man’s U.S. work authorization. Joyce said the recruit was hired in February 2024 after criminal history checks, fingerprinting, reference checks and a polygraph examination. He said employment eligibility was verified through a federally required I-9 form indicating the recruit was authorized to work until 2029, adding, “He was squeaky clean,” and “Every indication we found was that this was an individual trying to do all the right things.”
Joyce said he could support the plan outlined last year when he met with border czar Tom Homan—prioritizing removal of people with serious criminal records—but said this week’s arrest did not align with that message. “The book and the movie don’t add up,” Joyce said. He also criticized the manner of the arrest, saying multiple ICE agents were involved and the recruit’s vehicle was left running on a city street after he was detained, calling it, “That’s bush-league policing.”
The enforcement operation has also drawn public demonstrations. A small group of demonstrators gathered Thursday afternoon outside an ICE field office in Scarborough, and in downtown Portland, resident Dave Cowie held a sign reading “Due Process.” Cowie said, “People are being snatched off the street, taken to undisclosed locations,” and added, “We’re being told we have to prove our citizenship — not everyone walks around with a passport in their pocket.”
Mills said the state respects the law but questioned the need for what she described as a heavy-handed approach after Maine’s top federal prosecutor urged demonstrations to remain peaceful and warned that people who interfere with federal agents could face prosecution.