A surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Maine has been called off in the wake of resistance tochaotic operations in Minneapolis.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said ICE will be ending its “enhanced activities” in the state but would continue “normal operations,” following a conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here,” Collins said in a Thursday statement. “I have been urging [Department of Homeland] Secretary [Kristi] Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state.”
The news of an ICE drawdown in Maine came as border czar Tom Homan delivered remarks at a press conference in Minneapolis, criticizing the operation in Minnesota.
“I’m not here because of the federal government has carried this mission out perfectly,” he said. “[President Donald Trump and I] have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made.”
Start your day with essential news from Salon.
Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
Homan vowed to stay in Minneapolis “until the problem’s gone,” but noted that ICE would reduce the amount of agents in the city. The drawdown, along with the cancelled surge in Maine are the deescalations by the Trump administration following intense bipartisan pressure after the killing of Alex Pretti and Nicole Good by ICE officers in Minneapolis. A recent internal memo from an ICE official on Thursday directed officers “not to engage with agitators,” but to communicate solely by “issuing commands.”
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was removed from his role as “commander-at-large” of ICE officers in Minneapolis on Tuesday. On the same day, two prominent GOP senators called for Noem’s resignation over her “amateurish” supervision of ICE operations.
“I think what she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said.
