Maine Sen. Susan Collins says she’s asked for the recent immigration enforcement operation in Maine to be paused.
Collins told Maine Public on Tuesday that she asked U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week to pause ICE operations in Maine and in Minnesota, where Alex Pretti was shot and killed by immigration agents over the weekend.
Collins said recent ICE operations in both states should be paused so that they can be reviewed and have a narrower scope.
She called enforcement operations in both states too sweeping and indiscriminate.
Collins told our info partners at CBS 13 it wasn’t a good idea for Pretti to bring a gun to what she calls a volatile environment, but that he didn’t appear to be breaking any laws.
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who’s running to unseat Sen. Collins, accused Republicans and vocal supporters of the 2nd Amendment of hypocrisy for saying Pretti should not have gone near ICE agents with a gun.
Multiple videos of the incident do not appear to show Pretti brandishing the weapon at law enforcement.
After the shooting, members of the Trump administration quickly branded Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and said he intended to massacre ICE agents.
Some Maine Republicans have accused Democrats, including Gov. Janet Mills, of using heated rhetoric that’s putting ICE agents in danger.
Also on Tuesday, nine faith leaders were arrested for criminal trespassing while protesting at Sen. Susan Collins’ office in Portland.
The group representing nearly 10 religious denominations was calling for Sen. Collins to push for ICE to leave Maine and vote against a bill to fund ICE.
Sen. Collins says she’s standing by her support for legislation to fund DHS, saying only a small portion of the money goes to ICE.
Portland Police said the nine people didn’t clear the building when asked, leading to fire code concerns.
