Collins, Mills take different tacks on ICE's sweeping enforcement action in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s leading Republican and Democratic officials, now engaged in one of the nation's highest profile Senate races, offered starkly different comments on Friday as a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents racked up their arrest totals.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has challenged immigration officials to provide judicial warrants, real-time arrest numbers and basic information about who is being detained in Maine.

Mills also called on her Republican rival, Sen. Susan Collins, to act after the House's GOP majority defeated efforts by Democrats to curtail ICE funding.

“Let me be clear: Maine will not be intimidated, and the reckless actions that we’ve seen ICE turn to will not be tolerated here in Maine,” Mills said Friday.

Collins avoided criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics, other than to say that people who are in the country legally should not be the target of ICE investigations. She also said that policies she has advocated for, including providing body cameras and de-escalation training for ICE personnel, could help improve accountability and trust.

And as protest organizers announced Friday demonstrations against ICE in Maine's largest cities, she urged them to avoid interfering with ICE arrests.

“There are people in Maine and elsewhere who have entered this country illegally and who have engaged in criminal activity,” Collins said in a statement. “They could be subject to arrest and deportation pursuant to the laws of the United States, and people who are exercising the right to peacefully gather and protest their government should be careful not to interfere with law enforcement efforts while doing so.”

Several hundred people gathered at night in Portland’s Monument Square to protest ICE, despite frigid and windy conditions. The demonstration was orderly and attracted a minimal police presence as speakers criticized the enforcement surge and people held signs with slogans such as “ICE Out Maine” and other slogans.

“ICE is terrorizing our community, and they don’t belong here,” said demonstrator Levi Alexander, 22, of Portland. “I’m just here to do my part.”

Mills' run for Collins' seat could ultimately help determine the balance of the Senate. Mills, who is termed out as governor, must first beat oyster farmer Graham Platner, whose outsider campaign is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, in the Democratic primary. Platner has strongly condemned ICE's surge in Maine, and posted a video on social media Friday offering step-by-step advice on how to resist.

“Over the past couple days, ICE's operations are clearly rounding up people who are legally in the state of Maine,” Platner said in the Facebook reel. “I'm sick and tired of hearing that legally there is nothing that law enforcement in Maine can do to protect citizens from these thugs.”

The enforcement action began Tuesday and has succeeded in removing dangerous criminals from the community, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to media on Thursday.

Some of the more than 100 arrests were of people “convicted of horrific crimes including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child,” McLaughlin said.

The detentions in Maine, a mostly rural state where about 4% of the 1.4 million residents are foreign-born, have sparked anxiety in Portland and Lewiston, which are home to sizable immigrant and refugee populations, particularly from African nations.

Community leaders say that just like in other U.S. cities where the agency has surged forces, some families are staying indoors, avoiding work and keeping children home from school for fear of arrest.

The enforcement surge has also included the detention of corrections officers vetted by county authorities.

York County officials said one of their jail corrections officers was detained by ICE after being summoned to an immigration appointment this week and as of Friday remained in at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Separately, Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said one of his corrections officer recruits was arrested by ICE despite passing background checks and federal employment verification. The person had no known criminal history and was authorized to work in the United States, he added.

“While enforcement actions are being promoted as targeting the ‘worst of the worst,’ the reality appears far more complicated,” York County officials said in statement.

Cristian Vaca, an immigrant from Ecuador who lives in Biddeford, said ICE agents repeatedly threatened him Wednesday outside his home, where the 28-year-old roofer lives with his wife and young son.

“I’m here legally. I came here in September 2023,” Vaca said, citing his family’s safety and economic opportunity as reasons for the move.

Speaking to The Associated Press in Spanish through a translator, Vaca said he was sitting on his couch when he noticed agents taking photos outside.

Vaca said he has a U.S. Social Security number, a work permit and pays income taxes. A video Vaca took shows an ICE agent speaking to him through his closed front door.

Before turning away, the agent says, “We’re going to come back for your whole family, OK?” A child’s voice can be heard in the background.

Organizers announced more demonstrations, one planned for Friday evening in downtown Portland. A small group of demonstrators also gathered Thursday afternoon and again Friday morning outside an ICE field office in Scarborough.

“Maine is one of those places where you look out for your neighbors and everyone’s there,” said one of the Scarborough demonstrators, college student Ava Gleason. “We’re a community, and to see people come in and rip apart a community is freaking terrifying.”

Willingham reported from Boston.

Protesters rally against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A protester rallies against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Protesters rally against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Protesters rally against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Protesters rally against the presence of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement in Maine, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A woman films a Homeland Security Investigations agent at a parking lot at Deering Oaks Park, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Portland, Maine.(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Angelica Fisher, left, and Cristian Vaca pose for a photo Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at his home in Biddeford, Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)

Rosie Grutze protests the presence of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Edwards won the Most Valuable Player award while leading his “Stars” team past their fellow Americans on the “Stripes” team 47-21 to win the final of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star claimed his first All-Star MVP award with a tying 3-pointer in the first round-robin game followed by eight points in the final, which was the only chapter without a dramatic late finish in this mini-tournament comprising the main event of All-Star weekend at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome.

The NBA's fourth format in four years matched two teams of American All-Stars against a team representing the World, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year.

The slightly older Stripes had beaten the slightly younger Stars on De’Aaron Fox’s 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second 12-minute, round-robin game. But Edwards led the Stars to victory in the rematch with the Stripes, who appeared to run out of gas while playing in their third straight mini-game.

“We chose to compete today, and we came out on top,” Edwards said. “I ain’t going to lie, Wemby set the tone. He came out and played hard, and we had to follow that.”

Indeed, Victor Wembanyama effectively challenged his fellow All-Stars to take this game seriously, and they largely appeared to do it. Despite going 0-2, Wembanyama led the World team in scoring in both games with 14 points in the opener and 19 in the third game.

Along with the late-game theatrics, the event generally appeared to be played at a higher level of competitiveness than most All-Star Games in recent years, suggesting the league might have finally cracked the code on the long-standing question of how to make this midseason showcase more entertaining.

“It was a pretty good display of basketball,” Wembanyama said. “Better than last year, in my opinion. It was fun. … I think being honest with ourselves is good. It’s a game we love, it’s a game I personally cherish, so being competitive is the least I can do.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver thanked the All-Stars for playing hard when he presented the championship trophy to the Stars.

Kawhi Leonard thrilled his home crowd with a 31-point barrage for the Stripes in the final round-robin game, but he managed just one point in the final. Tyrese Maxey led the Stars with nine points in the clincher.

Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.

After Fox's dagger in the second game, Leonard utterly dominated the third game before hitting a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in the Stripes’ 48-45 victory.

The World team was loaded with talent, but NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic both sat out its second game, likely to preserve the health of two superstars who have struggled with injury in the past month.

John Tesh took the court with his band before the game for a live rendition of “Roundball Rock,” the iconic 1990s theme song of “NBA on NBC," to mark the league's return to the network this season. That network partnership is also the reason the All-Star Game was an afternoon affair on the West Coast, because NBC airs the Winter Olympics at night.

The Intuit Dome crowd included former President Barack Obama, who received a standing ovation pregame.

Edwards scored 13 points and forced overtime on a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation to begin the mini-tourney.

Edwards hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points overtime period. Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 10 points, but Norman Powell — a born-and-raised Californian who represents Jamaica internationally — missed a potential winning shot for the World at the regulation buzzer.

NBA scoring leader Doncic played the first 5:05 for the World in the opening game before sitting down. The Lakers superstar hadn’t played since Feb. 5 due to a hamstring strain, but he was determined to play after receiving his sixth All-Star nod.

Donovan Mitchell took a pass under the net from LeBron James and kicked it out to Fox on the perimeter for the winner.

Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, and James scored eight to begin his record 21st All-Star appearance.

Edwards and Cade Cunningham scored 11 points apiece for the Stars.

“Old heads 1-0,” James said with a laugh. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of basketball, so no matter what’s going on, we know how to keep our composure and execute.”

A few hours beforehand, the top scorer in NBA history said the game’s presence in the Los Angeles area meant “nothing, because this is not our building. This is a road game.”

Indeed, the Clippers fans in Intuit Dome booed James and Doncic whenever they touched the ball in the first two games.

Leonard thrilled his home crowd with a dynamic effort, going 11 of 13 and 6 of 7 from beyond the arc. The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters’ section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.

He was unstoppable despite a reasonable defensive effort from the World team led by Wembanyama, who scored 19 points before missing a tying 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer.

James put the Stripes ahead with 31 seconds left on a putback dunk, but Wembanyama hit two free throws to tie it before Leonard called game.

Jokic and Doncic didn't play, leaving the World with just seven players.

The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards reacts after scoring during the NBA All-Star basketball game against USA Stripes Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards, left, shakes hands with commissioner Adam Silver after the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards reacts after scoring during the NBA All-Star basketball game against USA Stripes Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

World forward Luka Dončić, of Slovenia, dribbles during the NBA All-Star basketball game against the USA Stars Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Barack Obama talks to commissioner Adam Silver before the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

World center Victor Wembanyama, of France, defends on USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards during the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

World center Victor Wembanyama, of France, shoots over USA Stars guard Devin Booker, left, and forward Jalen Duren during the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)