The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a new immigration enforcement operation in the state of Maine.
On Jan. 21, DHS announced “Operation Catch of the Day.” According to a DHS representative, the agency is cracking down on illegal migrants across the state.
"We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state. On the first day of operations, we arrested illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child," Assistant DHS Secretary McLaughlin said in a statement. "Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, we are no longer allowing criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens."
Secretary McLaughlin called out Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and "her fellow sanctuary politicians," blaming them for the operation’s existence.
Before the announcement, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine, Andrew Benson, issued a statement affirming the people’s right to protest, while also emphasizing a refrain from violence.
"In the coming days, if Maine citizens seek to exercise their rights to assemble and protest, it is vital that these protests remain peaceful," Benson stated. "Anyone who forcibly assaults or impedes a federal law enforcement officer, willfully destroys government property, or unlawfully obstructs federal law enforcement activity commits a federal crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Anticipating the immigration crackdown, Gov. Mills shared the week prior that she’s instructed Maine State Police “to work closely with local law enforcement, as necessary, to provide whatever support is needed in advance of and during any potential federal operations.”
“I want any federal agents — and the president of the United States — to know what this state stands for. We stand for the rule of law. We oppose violence. We stand for peaceful protest,” the governor said. “We stand for compassion, for integrity and justice.”
This week, the Trump Administration convinced the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend a judge’s ruling that prohibited federal agents from using chemical weapons against demonstrators in Minnesota.
