PORTLAND, Maine
Immigration and Customs Enforcement billed its recent Maine operation as a crackdown on the “worst of the worst,” but court records reveal many of those detained had not been convicted of serious crimes.
Dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day,” the statewide sweep led to more than 100 arrests. ICE announced it had apprehended dangerous criminals, including “child abusers and hostage takers.”
While court documents confirm some detainees had violent felony records, others show individuals arrested but never convicted, or those with pending immigration cases.
The discrepancy raises questions about the agency’s public characterization of the operation and its criteria for detention amid heightened national debate over immigration enforcement.
By James Kisoo
