Kathrine Frich
After Minnesota, another northeastern state is now in focus.
Federal immigration enforcement efforts in the United States are widening, following a series of deployments that have drawn criticism from Democratic leaders.
Agents arrive in Maine
More than 100 federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived in the state of Maine this week, according to a current US official and a former immigration enforcement official.
Reuters reported that the deployment is part of a broader Trump administration operation targeting illegal immigration.
The former official said the effort in Maine is expected to focus on refugee communities. The state is home to several such groups, including Somalis.
The officials spoke as local authorities and immigrant advocates said they had been anticipating the arrival of additional federal agents for weeks.
Local pushback
Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, criticized the administration’s approach ahead of the deployment.
Last week, she said the aggressive tactics used by the Trump administration were “not welcome” in the state.
State officials and community groups have expressed concern about the impact of the operation on refugee populations.
They argue that increased enforcement could disrupt communities and strain relations between residents and law enforcement.
The White House has not publicly detailed the scope or duration of the operation in Maine.
Minnesota precedent
The deployment follows a much larger operation in Minnesota, where around 3,000 federal agents have been sent in recent weeks to address illegal immigration.
Tensions there have escalated between federal and state authorities.
The situation worsened after an ICE agent killed Renee Good, a US citizen, during an operation earlier this month, and wounded a Venezuelan migrant, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, while attempting to detain him.
The incidents sparked protests and sharp criticism from Democratic officials and local leaders.
Clashing accounts
The Department of Homeland Security defended the ICE agents involved in both cases, saying they acted under threat. Democrats and local officials rejected that account.
They argued that federal agents should not have been operating in Minneapolis in the first place and accused the administration of overreach.
As ICE operations expand into more Democratic-led states, clashes between federal authorities and local governments appear set to continue.
Sources: Reuters, Agerpres, Hotnews
