{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6707", "King, Pingree Seek Confirmation from DHS Secretary Noem on Reported ICE Drawdown in Maine", "2026-02-12", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", "pingree", "https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) are demanding answers to their unanswered questions regarding the recent surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s (ICE) activity in Maine. In a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons, the members of the Maine Delegation called for a detailed explanation and update about ICE\u2019s presence in Maine, including what their mission is and who they are targeting.\n\nThe letter comes on the heels of ICE\u2019s enforcement actions in Maine, inappropriately called \u201cOperation Catch of the Day,\u201d which began nearly three weeks ago. Since its start, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided no formal information on the people arrested and their legal status beyond a list of 19 people on its website. Meanwhile, DHS claims that several hundred people have been detained.\n\n\u201cWe write to request your prompt response to our outstanding questions regarding Immigration and Customs Enforement\u2019s (ICE) recent surge in activity in Maine. It has been 22 days since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that ICE would launch \u201cOperation Catch of the Day\u201d (OCOTD) in Maine. The January 20, 2026, announcement from DHS stated that this operation was \u201can immigration enforcement effort across the state of Maine targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who have terrorized communities.\u201d ICE officials told the media in Maine that the target for the operation was 1,400 individuals and that roughly 200 individuals have reportedly been apprehended thus far. The DHS website \u201cWorst of the Worst\u201d lists only 19 individuals apprehended in Maine,\u201d the lawmakers began.\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cOn January 29, 2026, we learned from Senator Collins that Secretary Noem would be halting the operation; however, we have not seen any written correspondence corroborating this announcement. While state and municipal leaders along with stakeholders in Maine have reported a reduction in ICE\u2019s presence related to this recent surge\u2014absent a formal notice from DHS of the end of the operation\u2014we have outstanding questions regarding the scope of this operation as detailed in various correspondence with the Legislative Affairs offices of DHS and ICE.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Secretary Noem and Director Todd Lyons:\n\nWe write to request your prompt response to our outstanding questions regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s (ICE) recent surge in activity in Maine.\n\nIt has been 22 days since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that ICE would launch \u201cOperation Catch of the Day\u201d (OCOTD) in Maine. The January 20, 2026, announcement from DHS stated that this operation was \u201can immigration enforcement effort across the state of Maine targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who have terrorized communities.\u201d ICE officials told the media in Maine that the target for the operation was 1,400 individuals and that roughly 200 individuals have reportedly been apprehended thus far. The DHS website \u201cWorst of the Worst\u201d lists only 19 individuals apprehended in Maine.\n\nOn January 29, 2026, we learned from Senator Collins that Secretary Noem would be halting the operation; however, we have not seen any written correspondence corroborating this announcement.\n\nWhile state and municipal leaders along with stakeholders in Maine have reported a reduction in ICE\u2019s presence related to this recent surge\u2014absent a formal notice from DHS of the end of the operation\u2014we have outstanding questions regarding the scope of this operation as detailed in various correspondence with the Legislative Affairs offices of DHS and ICE. To address these urgent concerns, we request that you provide answers to the following questions and information requests by Wednesday, February 18, 2026:\n\nPlease confirm whether Operation Catch of the Day is ongoing in Maine?\n\nPlease clarify if the operation has been completely halted, reduced, or has not yet changed?\n\nIf it has only been reduced, please detail the current scope and nature of this operation?\n\nWhat further information can ICE provide regarding any ongoing activity?\n\nWhat is the objective of launching \u201cOCOTD\u201d in Maine?\n\nWhich individuals are being targeted?\n\nHow many DHS/ICE (any federal) agents were deployed to Maine specificallyfor \u201cOCOTD?\u201d\n\nHow many additional agents have arrived to Maine for this operation?\n\nWhat agencies did they represent?\n\nWhat is the total number of arrests made to date (from the time you are responding to this inquiry) as part of OCOTD?\n\nBarring any legal restrictions, please provide a name and justification for each criminal arrest\u2014such as what is posted on DHS\u2019 \u201cWorst of the Worst\u201d website and clarify whether the individual has been convicted of or just charged with the crime listed?\n\nWhere are detainees apprehended in this operation being taken (please list name of states and facilities)?\n\nAmong those arrested, do any have final removal orders?\n\nAmong those arrested, how many have criminal convictions verses criminal charges\n\nHow many discretionary arrests of asylum seekers?\n\nHow many arrests are of refugees whom US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have decided to re-interview?\n\nPlease share where and how ICE compiled its list of \u201c1,400 targets\u201d for OCOTD?\n\nWhy are detainees of OCOTD who are asylum seekers, those without a criminal record, and waiting to appear before an immigration judge, being taken into custody?\n\nThere have been numerous arrests of individuals without criminal records\u2014what is the justification for these arrests? This is contrary to the DHS statement that the objective of OCOTD is to arrest the \u201cworst of the worst.\u201d\n\nHow is ICE classifying \u201cthe worst of the worst?\u201d\n\nDoes this include those with parking citations, for example?\n\nAre there any concurrent, separate operation(s) and/or targets being pursued in tandem with OCOTD?\n\nIf so, please what are those operation(s)?\n\nAre there any U.S. citizens on ICE\u2019s target list in Maine?\n\nIt appears the individuals who have been listed in DHS\u2019s announcement about \u201cOperation Catch of the Day\u201d do not also appear on the \u201c\u201dWorst of the Worst\u201d website under Maine arrests, despite being characterized as \u201cworst of the worst\u201d? Please explain.\n\nWe have repeatedly asked for this basic information over the past three weeks. Senator King made request on January 23; Congresswoman Pingree sent you a letter with a similar series of questions on January 22; and further, we have jointly requested to be briefed on your agency\u2019s operation\u2014all with no response. We expect answers to the questions posed here, as well as responses to our previous inquiries, within a week, as congressional oversight is not optional.\n\nThank you for your immediate attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6707"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.443204866722226, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}