Court Records Undercut ICE 'Worst of the Worst' Claims in Maine Operation Catch of the Day
Federal officials launched "Operation Catch of the Day" in Maine — part of a broader Trump‑era crackdown — deploying roughly 200 agents to pursue about 1,400 targets and making dozens to more than 100 arrests, with DHS calling those arrested the "worst of the worst" and singling out Somali and other immigrant communities. But court records reviewed by news outlets show a mixed picture: while some detainees have violent felony histories, others have no convictions or only minor or dismissed charges (including cases cited by ICE such as Dominic Ali, Elmara Correia and Dany Lopez‑Cortez), prompting local officials and advocates to challenge the agency’s characterization and tactics.
📌 Key Facts
- ICE launched 'Operation Catch of the Day' in Maine this week as part of a broader Trump administration enforcement push, deploying at least about 200 federal agents and identifying roughly 1,400 people statewide as targets.
- DHS/ICE officials framed the operation as going after the 'worst of the worst' and said arrests included serious offenses; ICE reported more than 50 arrests on the first day and DHS said there were 'more than 100' arrests in the first three days.
- ICE publicly said the operation is targeting people from countries including Somalia, Senegal, Congo, Guatemala and Honduras and tied the Maine surge to an earlier Minneapolis operation and a wider mass‑deportation campaign.
- An Associated Press review of court records and follow‑up reporting shows a mixed picture: some detainees have violent felony histories, but many flagged by ICE have no convictions or only minor or dismissed charges, undermining the agency’s blanket 'worst of the worst' claim.
- Named cases illustrate the contrast: Dominic Ali (Sudan) has a 2008 violent‑assault conviction; Elmara Correia (Angola) was publicly highlighted for 'endangering a child' but Maine records show a dismissed 2023 learner‑permit traffic charge and she has filed habeas relief; Dany Lopez‑Cortez (Guatemala) was cited for a single OUI conviction.
- Maine officials and communities have pushed back: Gov. Janet Mills asked 'Why Maine? Why now?' and said the state received no advance answers; Portland Mayor Mark Dion and others criticized the 'paramilitary' approach; local volunteer networks, school absences and business warnings reflect heightened fear.
- The operation has heightened political and social tensions — DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin publicly accused Gov. Mills and 'sanctuary politicians' of siding with 'criminal illegal aliens,' President Trump made inflammatory comments about Somalis at Davos, and authorities warned protesters they could be prosecuted while some local leaders allege aggressive tactics by agents.
- Advocates and reporting note the operation’s scale is unusual for Maine — immigrants are roughly 4% of the state’s population — prompting legal challenges, increased hotline calls, community organizing to support immigrants, and questions about how ICE selected and vetted targets.
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 24, 2026
5:34 AM
Court records raise doubts that ICE is detaining the ‘worst of the worst’ in Maine
New information:
- AP review of court records shows that while some Maine detainees are violent felons, others flagged by ICE have no convictions or only minor or dismissed charges, contradicting the agency’s 'worst of the worst' framing.
- Detailed example of Sudan native Dominic Ali: convicted in 2008 of second-degree assault, false imprisonment and obstructing reporting of a crime for a brutal attack on his girlfriend; sentenced in 2009 to five to ten years in prison, later paroled to ICE custody and ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2013, with his current status unclear.
- Case of Angola native Elmara Correia: ICE highlighted her as previously arrested for 'endangering the welfare of a child,' but Maine records show only a 2023 traffic‑related learner’s‑permit charge that was dismissed; she has filed a habeas petition, and a judge issued a temporary emergency order barring her transfer from the Massachusetts detention center where she is held.
- Case of Guatemalan national Dany Lopez‑Cortez, cited by ICE as a 'criminal illegal alien' for an OUI conviction; Portland’s mayor publicly questions whether a single OUI conviction qualifies as 'worst of the worst' in Maine, where such cases are common.
- Portland Mayor Mark Dion criticizes ICE for failing to distinguish between arrests and convictions in its public release and for not explaining whether sentences were completed, challenging the integrity of the agency’s public narrative.
January 23, 2026
11:47 PM
'We're being terrorized.' What Mainers are seeing as ICE launches operation in the state
New information:
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told PBS that 'more than 100 arrests' were made in the first three days of Operation Catch of the Day.
- McLaughlin characterized those first-day arrests as including 'the worst of the worst,' citing offenses like aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.
- Gov. Janet Mills publicly questioned 'Why Maine? Why now?' and said the state has asked DHS for details on who is being targeted, where arrests are occurring and how long the operation will last but has received no answers.
- The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition reports a major spike in calls to its volunteer hotline as the operation began, with advocacy director Ruben Torres describing widespread 'confusion, fear, panic' among immigrants.
- PBS notes that immigrants make up about 4% of Maine’s population, underscoring how unusual a 1,400‑target operation is in a relatively small immigrant community.
10:04 AM
In Portland, Maine, Where ‘Everyone Knows Everyone,’ ICE Is Raising Hackles
New information:
- Portland residents are responding to the ICE surge by posting 'No I.C.E.' signs in windows, filming traffic stops by masked agents, and standing guard at school playgrounds.
- The piece captures Portland’s small‑town social fabric — a city of about 70,000 'where everyone knows everyone' — and how that magnifies the sense of siege.
- Specific arrest anecdotes include a 64‑year‑old Lyft driver, whose family only learned of his detention from a bystander’s video, and a Cumberland County corrections‑officer trainee whom Sheriff Kevin Joyce says passed background checks, had no criminal record and was working legally.
January 21, 2026
10:35 PM
ICE reels in the worst of the worst with 'Operation Catch of the Day' in Maine
New information:
- Confirms that Operation Catch of the Day launched Tuesday and that ICE arrested "over 50" people on the first day.
- Specifies that ICE has identified about 1,400 targets statewide under the operation, per ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde.
- Details DHS framing that the operation follows "ongoing disagreements" with Maine officials over cooperation with immigration enforcement.
- Adds DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s new quote accusing Gov. Janet Mills and other state leaders of preferring "criminal illegal aliens" over law‑abiding citizens and calling those targeted the "worst of the worst."
- Provides specific named examples of individuals arrested (Dominic Ali of Sudan, Ambessa Berhe of Ethiopia, Elmara Correia of Angola, Dany Lopez‑Cortez of Guatemala) and lists their prior convictions.
- Includes Portland Mayor Mark Dion’s public statement rejecting the need for a disproportionate ICE presence, saying there is "no evidence of unchecked criminal activity" to justify the surge.
9:33 PM
ICE activity increases in Maine as anxiety grows in immigrant communities
New information:
- Confirms DHS has named the Maine surge 'Catch of the Day' and situates it explicitly as part of the Trump administration’s broader mass-deportation campaign.
- Details that Portland and Lewiston immigrant communities—especially Somali and other African refugees—are seeing 'about a quarter' of immigrants not showing up at school and many afraid to go to work.
- Reports that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows refused a CBP request for confidential undercover Maine license plates for unmarked vehicles, citing concerns about appropriate use.
- Describes citizen response networks in Portland bringing food to immigrants, alerting neighborhoods to ICE presence, and businesses posting signs saying ICE agents aren’t welcome.
- Quotes Portland Mayor Mark Dion and Councilor Pious Ali criticizing a 'paramilitary approach' and saying the council 'stands with' immigrant communities.
9:20 PM
Trump administration launches ICE ‘Operation Catch of the Day’ in Maine
New information:
- Confirms that 'Operation Catch of the Day' formally launched on Tuesday in Maine with at least 200 federal agents involved.
- Quotes ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde saying agents are targeting about 1,400 people from Somalia, Senegal, Congo, Guatemala and Honduras.
- Reports that DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin publicly accused Gov. Janet Mills and 'sanctuary politicians' of siding with 'criminal illegal aliens' over citizens.
- Details Gov. Janet Mills’ on‑the‑record warnings that provocative tactics that undermine civil rights are 'not welcome here' and that she received no confirmation or denial from Trump officials before the raids.
- Reiterates that Operation Catch of the Day is designed to arrest and detain people suspected of fraud and other crimes for roughly 30‑day reviews, tying it explicitly to the earlier Minnesota surge and DOJ subpoenas of state leaders.
9:02 PM
ICE launches latest immigration arrest operation in Maine
New information:
- DHS told CBS that Somali immigrants are among those being specifically targeted in the Maine operation, linking the sweep to the state’s Somali community in places like Lewiston.
- President Trump, speaking at Davos, tied his wider crackdown to alleged 'Somalian bandits' in Minnesota and mocked Somalis as 'low IQ people' before claiming they stole 'more than $19 billion' — an unsubstantiated, inflammatory figure.
- DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin issued a politicized statement accusing Gov. Janet Mills and 'sanctuary politicians' of siding with 'criminal illegal aliens' over 'law‑abiding American citizens.'
- Westbrook Mayor David Morse said ICE arrested people in his suburb on Tuesday and Wednesday and alleged that a masked federal officer 'targeted for intimidation' a peaceful U.S. citizen observer, calling the behavior outrageous.
- U.S. Attorney Andrew Benson pre‑teed the operation with a statement warning that anyone who assaults, impedes or obstructs federal officers or destroys government property during protests 'will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
- The piece directly connects the Maine deployment to the earlier Minneapolis surge and the Jan. 7 killing of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an ICE officer, noting that scrutiny of ICE tactics has intensified nationwide.