In a decisive move, former President Donald Trump has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to initiate a roundup of Somali immigrants in Maine, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Federal agents have commenced operations in Portland and Lewiston, the two largest cities in Maine, as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s newly launched initiative titled ‘Operation Catch of the Day,’ which was announced on Wednesday.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for Homeland Security, confirmed that several arrests were made on the first day of this operation, showcasing the swift action being taken.

In response, local authorities in Maine’s major cities have issued warnings to residents, informing them of an impending increase in ICE’s enforcement activities over the coming days.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine has also issued a stern warning to the public, advising against any interference with ICE operations.

Andrew Benson, Maine’s U.S. Attorney, emphasized the legal repercussions for anyone who obstructs or assaults federal officers, damages government property, or unlawfully hinders federal law enforcement efforts, stating that such actions constitute federal crimes and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Amid outcry from local and state officials, Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills said aggressive immigration enforcement that violates civil rights are ‘not welcome.’

Maine received thousands of asylum refugees from African countries under the Biden administration. A sizeable Somali population has existed in the state since the early 2000s. 

The Department of Homeland Security has sent immigration agents to Maine as part of their latest crackdown on Somali migrants

A sizeable Somali population has existed in Maine since the early 2000s

Immigration agents made 50 arrests on Tuesday with more than 1,000 targets in the state

The immigration surge comes as thousands of ICE agents face consistent opposition from protesters in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.

The presence of ICE agents in Portland is causing fear across immigrant communities, according to city council member Pious Ali, an immigrant of the West African nation of Ghana. 

‘Our schools have seen about a quarter of immigrants not showing up,’ Ali said. ‘There are immigrants who live here who work in our hospitals, they work in our schools, they work in our hotels, they are part of the economic engine of our community.’ 

‘The federal government has the ability to contact these people without unleashing fear into our communities.’

The immigration enforcement action arriving to Maine, rural state with about 1.4 million residents, suggests the White House is doubling-down on Trump’s mass deportation agenda amid widespread push back.

ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde told reporters that agents made 50 arrests on Tuesday as officials have more than 1,000 targets in the state. 

School officials in Portland are also opposing the immigration crackdown by preventing officials from entering campuses. 

Portland Public Schools announced Wednesday that it had prevented anyone from entering the buildings of two education facilities over concerns regarding nearby ICE activity.

Trump has called for all Somalians to leave the United States while attacking Democratic lawmakers

ICE agents are making arrests across the two largest cities in Maine 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection have received pushback from Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a longtime opponent of Trump.

Agents requested for confidential, undercover Maine license plates but state officials decided against issuing them, according to Bellows. 

Moreover, Trump has called for Somalians to leave the US in a blistering attack on Democratic lawmakers while discussing ICE operations in Minnesota. 

‘Minnesota is a very corrupt place and the elections are totally corrupt,’ Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.

‘I feel I won it all three times. Nobody has won it since Richard Nixon. It’s a rigged state. The Somalians vote as one group even if they’re not citizens. They all ought to get the hell out of here. They’re bad for our country.’