ICE Has Arrested More People in Maine in 2026 Than in the Previous Two Years Combined

ICE has arrested more people in Maine so far in 2026 than in 2024 and 2025 combined, according to a Maine Morning Star analysis of ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Of 491 ICE arrests in Maine that led to detention through August 6, 2026, nearly 89% were of people without criminal convictions: 56 people had been convicted of a crime (one for a violent offense), 97 had pending charges, and 338 had neither. Arrests peaked at 208 in January 2026, when ICE launched a large-scale operation in the state, with another spike of 74 in June, and apprehensions were recorded in 50 Maine towns. Border czar Tom Homan told a state legislator that Maine would “see a lot more enforcement action.” In its latest release, ICE removed the data field that showed whether an arrest was targeted or collateral.