ICE arrested hundreds in Minnesota and Maine without criminal records
Mar 31, 2026·Location: Minnesota, Maine
According to arrest data from December 2025 to February 2026, approximately 63 percent of people arrested by ICE in Minnesota had no criminal record, with over 3,700 residents detained for civil immigration violations like overstayed visas. In Maine, roughly 80 percent of the nearly 200 people detained in January had only noncriminal immigration violations, with only 11 having criminal records. The data, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and analyzed by the Deportation Data Project, contradicted Trump administration claims that arrests targeted serious criminals. Most arrestees were from Latin American countries, with over one-quarter from Ecuador.
Timeline
Mar 31, 2026—Arrest data released showing 63% of Minnesota arrestees and 80% of Maine arrestees had no criminal records, contradicting administration claims of targeting serious criminals
Feb 28, 2026—ICE enforcement period concludes with over 3,700 arrests in Minnesota and nearly 200 in Maine
Dec 1, 2025—ICE arrests begin in Minnesota and Maine during winter enforcement period
Sources
More incidents in Maine
- Maine ICE observer detained at border after being wrongly added to DHS databaseOct 2, 2026 · Portland, ME
- Congolese asylum seeker, jail officer, detained by ICE at routine check-inSep 22, 2026 · Scarborough, ME
- Angolan bank worker arrested by ICE in Lewiston parking lot, judge blocks removalSep 4, 2026 · Lewiston, ME
- Corrections officer with valid work permit detained by ICE in South PortlandAug 28, 2026 · South Portland, ME
- Cumberland County corrections officer detained by ICE in South PortlandAug 27, 2026 · South Portland, ME
- Cumberland County corrections officer from Angola detained by ICE, sheriff praises himAug 23, 2026 · Portland, ME