Original Date Announced

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced "Operation Catch of the Day," which the agency stated was "an immigration enforcement effort across the state of Maine." The Associated Press reports that Maine is "a state with relatively few residents in the United States illegally but notable African refugee communities in its largest cities." According to Patricia Hyde, ICE's deputy assistant director, there are "approximately 1,400 targets here in Maine." CBP also appears to be involved, as "Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said state officials received a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for confidential, undercover Maine license plates and decided against issuing them."

Trump 2.0 [ID #2184]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.29 Senator Susan Collins - End of enhanced ICE activity in Maine

Senator Susan Collins (R-Me.) announced on X that DHS "Secretary Noem informed [her] that ICE has ended its enhanced activities in the State of Maine. . . . There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations [in Maine]." However, "ICE and Customs and Border Patrol [sic] will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing [t]here for many years."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.23 Complaint - Hilton v. Noem

Observers of immigration enforcement in Maine have filed a class action in federal court, alleging that DHS agents and the federal government have violated the First Amendment by retaliating against people observing federal officers or otherwise engaging in protected expression. The complaint seeks to certify a class of "[a]ll individuals who have exercised or will exercise their constitutional right to peacefully observe or record immigration enforcement operations conducted by Defendants in the District of Maine and whose biometric data or other personal information is or will be collected and maintained by Defendants because of that activity."

The lawsuit asks for declaratory and injunctive relief, specifically seeking an order barring Defendants from "engaging in the unconstitutional collection, maintenance, and dissemination of records based on First Amendment-protected activity and from threatening, harassing, and otherwise retaliating against Plaintiffs and other Class Members for exercising their First Amendment rights," as well as requiring the expungement of plaintiffs' records. Hilton v. Noem, 2:26-cv-00092, (D. Me.)

**Link to case here. See litigation note above**