Bangor Studio/Membership Department
63 Texas Ave.
Bangor, ME 04401

Lewiston Studio
1450 Lisbon St.
Lewiston, ME 04240

Portland Studio
323 Marginal Way
Portland, ME 04101

Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
© 2026 Maine Public
A fall Maine landscape
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.

Jared Golden: ICE activity in Maine 'serves the public interest' if criminals are targeted

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends an event, October. 25, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP file
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends an event, October. 25, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine.

This story will be updated.

Democratic Congressman Jared Golden says he's supporting ICE operations in Maine, dubbed "Operation Catch of the Day," which have included his hometown of Lewiston.

"So long as this remains a targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals who have engaged in criminal activities then I believe it legitimately serves the public interest," Golden said in a statement emailed to Maine Public on Wednesday afternoon.

His remarks contrast with those of Lewiston's mayor, who says ICE is exhibiting "a complete lack of humanity and concern for basic human welfare."

"Lewiston stands for the dignity of all the people who call Maine home. We will never stop caring for our neighbors," Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement Wednesday.

The officials' remarks come as ICE operations have officially gotten underway in Maine. The agency told Fox News Tuesday that it had arrested approximately 50 people at that point, and was targeting 1,400 immigrants in total.

Updated: January 21, 2026 at 4:37 PM EST
The headline of this story has been updated to reflect that Jared Golden's ICE support is conditional on the agency targeting criminal activity.
Andrew Catalina is a news editor primarily responsible for overseeing news content on all of Maine Public's digital platforms, in addition to myriad other news- and content-related roles.