Trump administration begins immigration operation targeting Somali immigrants in Maine

The Trump administration has started an immigration enforcement operation in Maine targeting Somali immigrants in the state, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the plans told The New York Times. The decision follows a similar operation in Minnesota that incited protests and raised questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics.

Thousands of officers and agents from the Department of Homeland Security were deployed in Minnesota, and ICE’s actions there have come under scrutiny after the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis this month by an ICE officer, the Times reported. The report noted that a number of asylum seekers from African countries who arrived during the Biden administration have settled in Maine, joining a Somali population that began arriving in the early 2000s when refugees settled in Lewiston.

Maine remains an overwhelmingly white state with one of the oldest populations in the country, and some employers have looked to immigrants to fill labor gaps as native-born employees have left the workforce or retired. The U.S. attorney’s office in Maine advised people to protest peacefully, with U.S.

Attorney Andrew Benson saying protests must remain peaceful and warning that assaults on officers or obstruction of federal law enforcement will be prosecuted.

Key Topics

Politics, Trump Administration, Maine, Somali Immigrants, Ice, Minnesota