Augusta, Maine – Susan Collins is facing mounting criticism for her failure to hold the Trump administration accountable after ICE agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minnesota on Saturday.
Maine Democratic Party spokesperson Kristi Johnston released the following statement:
“Susan Collins is choosing Donald Trump over the people of Maine as he weaponizes ICE to spread fear in our communities. Collins has the authority to stand up to the Trump administration and stop this. She’s choosing not to. Mainers deserve a senator who stands up for them and keeps communities safe – not one who caves when it matters most.”
Here’s what they are saying:
The Washington Post: ICE surge creates new headache for Maine’s Susan Collins
The surge of federal immigration agents into Maine has put the Senate’s most vulnerable Republican, Susan Collins, on the defensive — and in avoidance mode — as she fends off attacks from two Democratic challengers who say she needs to stand up to President Donald Trump.
Collins is used to juggling her party’s increasingly aggressive stances with the politics in her state, which has not voted Republican for president since 1988. But the administration’s decision to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into Maine is different from the typical pressure she faces in Washington over whether to support a divisive nominee or vote for a tax package.
[...] The surge, depending on how it unfolds, could create a more partisan atmosphere in Maine, which could hurt Collins’s efforts to appeal to moderates and crossover voters.
[...] polls show voters oppose ICE’s recent activities. In a CBS News survey, 61 percent of Americans said ICE was too tough when it detained people.
[...] Collins did not agree to an interview or answer questions from The Washington Post.
HuffPost: Trump's ICE Surge In Maine Complicates Life For GOP Sen. Susan Collins
- [...] the crackdown coming to Maine is making life difficult for Collins, who’s facing renewed attacks for not doing enough to stand up to Trump as the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
- [...] polls show such criticism of Trump’s immigration crackdown is increasingly a shared sentiment after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota earlier this month.
- Collins has avoided criticizing ICE tactics directly, other than to say people who are in this country legally should not be targets of ICE investigations. The senator issued a statement on Thursday that reminded protesters to “be careful not to interfere with law enforcement efforts” as they demonstrate against ICE and noted that people who are ‘improperly detained’ are able to seek assistance through the legal system.
- [...] Trump reportedly tore into Collins in “a profanity-laced” phone call and even threatened to support her opponent, giving Republicans trying to defend their Senate majority yet another headache.
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