Class-action lawsuit accuses feds of targeting, intimidating, and retaliating against Mainers

The lawsuit says the plaintiffs' actions are protected by the First Amendment, but contends the government is collecting, maintaining, and disseminating biometric and other personal information about the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit says the plaintiffs' actions are protected by the First Amendment, but contends the government is collecting, maintaining, and disseminating biometric and other personal information about the plaintiffs.

PORTLAND, Maine —

A new class action lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland accuses federal immigration enforcement agents of unlawfully targeting, intimidating, and retaliating against Maine residents who observe or record immigration enforcement operations.

"The federal government is pursuing a conscious course of action to silence and sideline Mainers and other Americans who choose to observe, record, and share information about the conduct of federal agents who have been deployed to their streets," the lawsuit says. "In an effort to chill their protected activity, federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies, are leveraging the government’s significant surveillance capabilities to collect and track personal information about observers and other protestors. In some cases, federal agents also have used these surveillance tools and the information they collect to threaten and harass Mainers.

Hundreds of people were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Operation Catch of the Day in January in Maine.

The lawsuit says the plaintiffs' actions are protected by the First Amendment, but contends the government is collecting, maintaining, and disseminating biometric and other personal information about the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit says one agent who filmed plaintiff Elinor Hilton of Portland told her, “If you keep coming to things like this, you are going to be on a domestic terrorist watchlist. Then we’re going to come to your house later tonight.”

On Jan. 21, 2026, Hilton recorded actions of agents in a parking lot.

Another plaintiff in the lawsuit, Colleen Fagan of Portland, says she was told after recording public activity on Jan. 23, 2026, “We have a nice little database. And now you’re considered a domestic terrorist, so have fun with that.”

“There is NO database of ‘domestic terrorists’ run by DHS," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "We do of course monitor, investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement. Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime. Our law enforcement methods follow the U.S. constitution."

The lawsuit argues that observing and recording law enforcement performing public duties in public, and gathering and disseminating information about immigration operations, are protected by the First Amendment.

The lawsuit also claims the actions in Maine during Operation Catch of the Day are part of a nationwide pattern of similar threats and harassment.

The lawsuit is asking the court to rule that the actions do violate the Constitution, a permanent injunction banning similar actions in the future, and for all records collected and maintained about the plaintiffs as a result of these actions to be wiped.

The lawsuit names nearly a dozen people and agencies, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons, Acting Executive Associate Director for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations John Condon, and Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rodney Scott.