Augusta, Maine – Despite weeks of ICE raids that have spread fear across Maine communities, Susan Collins voted to advance a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that keeps ICE fully funded and operating without any additional reforms or accountability. 

Maine Democratic Party spokesperson Kristi Johnston released the following statement:

“Susan Collins chose to side with Donald Trump and ICE instead of Mainers. Her DHS bill would have kept ICE fully funded without addressing the harm and inhumane tactics seen firsthand. The Senate rejected her bill because Mainers deserve to feel safe in their communities – not targeted by unchecked enforcement that puts people’s lives at risk.”

Susan Collins is advancing ICE funding without reforms or guardrails while downplaying its impact. 

• News Center Maine: “Amid the controversy, Collins is staying course to steer the $64 billion DHS bill – and five remaining annual appropriations bills – through the Senate by a Jan. 30 deadline.”
• Collins is also actively pushing a DHS funding bill while downplaying its impact. Just yesterday, Collins claimed “less than 20%” of the package’s funding goes to ICE. The truth is, federal immigration enforcement could receive up to 43% of the bill’s funding without any additional reforms or accountability, according to analysis from News Center Maine. 

This week, Susan Collins lied about previously opposing ICE funding. 

• After weeks of refusing to hold the Trump administration accountable as ICE spreads fear in Maine communities, Susan Collins falsely claimed she opposed funding for ICE. In reality, Collins was a “key” “pivotal vote” to advancing the OBBB bill. 
  • “The funding that is supporting the current ICE operations, and to which the protestors in Portland were objecting, mostly comes from the Big, Beautiful Bill, which I voted against,” she said.