Janet Mills Is Flopping in the Fight for Maine Senate

Nathan Bernard and Ryan GrimFeb 13, 2026

Despite sub-zero conditions, the crowd gathered for the state’s first large-scale ICE protest, an “ICE THEM OUT” rally. That week, masked federal agents launched “Operation Catch of the Day,” a mass deportation campaign aimed at the nearly 6,000 Somalis who live in Maine. By operation’s end, the administration claimed to arrest over 200 “immigrant offenders.” Many of these Mainers are now being held at a Massachusetts facility attorneys found to have “inhumane” conditions.

The Lewiston event featured many of the state’s prominent Democratic politicians.

Gov. Mills was notably absent.

“Governor Mills did not reach out to me, or to the organizing team ahead of the January 24 rally, and none of her staff contacted us either,” Former Lewiston city councilor and lead organizer of the ICE THEM OUT protest Safiya Khalid told Drop Site News. “There was no indication of interest from the Governor or her team.”