Charges dropped against faith leaders arrested at Susan Collins’ Portland office

Nine Protesters Arrested Outside Senator Collins’ Portland Office See Charges Dropped

Portland, Maine – In the early hours of January 27, a group of about 25 demonstrators—including clergy, community leaders, and ordinary citizens—entered the office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in Portland to protest a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation that had led to 200 arrests across the state. Police arrested nine of the protesters for criminal trespassing after the group refused to leave when asked, but a Cumberland County prosecutor has now dismissed the charges. The case underscores a growing tension between Maine’s activists and the senator, who has been a vocal supporter of federal immigration‑law enforcement.

The Protest and Arrest

The protest began as a “pray‑in” at the front desk of Collins’ office. According to the protest organizers, the demonstrators were there to urge the senator to reject a DHS funding bill that would earmark $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol over the next three years. The activists claimed that the DHS operation had already resulted in 200 arrests in Maine, and they sought to bring attention to what they said was a surge in ICE activity.

After the group had been told to leave by staff and the police, nine individuals remained. Portland Police Major Jason King stated that the officers arrested the protesters roughly two hours after the larger group was warned. “The remaining protesters asked to be arrested,” King said. The defendants were taken into custody and later booked on criminal trespassing charges.

“And Collins’ response was to arrest us, to call the police and have us put into county jail,” said Rev. Will Green of New Brackett Church on Peaks Island, one of those arrested. Green was part of a coalition that included other faith leaders, such as the Rev. Christine Dyke of First Parish Congregational Church of Gorham.

Legal Outcome

On Wednesday, Cumberland County prosecutors announced that they were dropping the criminal trespassing charges against the nine men and women. The decision came after the defendants had spent months in jail under bail conditions and had already argued that their arrests were unjustified. Tina Nadeau, who represented all nine clients, said she was disappointed the charges had been brought at all. “They never should have been brought at all,” she said. “These are good people trying to engage with their duly elected senator.”

Seven of the nine defendants—who were released the day their charges were dropped—still expressed continued opposition to Collins’ support of ICE. “We’re still opposed to the senator’s stance on ICE,” one of them said. “We’re just happy to have our cases resolved.”

The dismissal is part of a broader pattern of prosecutor decisions in Portland. In April, prosecutors dropped charges against 10 protesters who had blocked a Portland roadway while demonstrating against U.S. involvement in the Gaza war. City officials reported that 99 demonstration requests were approved in 2025 compared with 38 in 2024, indicating a rise in public dissent.

Senator Collins’ Response

Sen. Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, was in Washington, D.C., the day of the Portland protest. The demonstrators complained that she had not responded to multiple phone calls and emails from them regarding concerns about ICE activity in Maine. Collins has repeatedly supported federal immigration‑law enforcement and has voted for significant funding for ICE and Border Patrol.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Collins emphasized that the bill she supported included measures she said would “protect both law‑enforcement officers and the people with whom they engage.” She cited an expanded use of body‑worn cameras, funding for de‑escalation training, and increased oversight of detention facilities. Collins also said the legislation would fund Homeland Security Investigations operations targeting human trafficking, and Border Patrol agents who “prevent dangerous and illegal weapons, drugs, and other contraband from entering our country.”

The bill, which has passed the Senate, would allocate $70 billion over the next three years to ICE and Border Patrol. Seven of the nine protestors remain opposed to the measure and to Collins’ vote on it.

Broader Context

The protests and legal outcome come at a time when Maine has seen a surge in ICE activity. The DHS operation that prompted the Portland demonstration had already led to 200 arrests in the state, according to the protest organizers. The demonstrators said the operation was ongoing in January, even though the senator had announced that it had ended that morning. “We were told in January that the surge supposedly ended,” said Rob Levin of the Portland Friends Meeting, a local Quaker group. Levin added that since then, local pastors have been taken “right off the street,” and that “we’ve seen leaders being taken.”

The protestors also noted that the senator had not answered their calls and emails. “The protestors said she had not responded to multiple calls and emails from them regarding their concerns about ICE,” a press release noted.

The legal dismissal was announced by Cumberland County prosecutors, who have recently handled a number of cases involving civil disobedience in Portland. The county District Attorney, Jacqueline Sartoris, was not immediately available to comment on the decision.

Implications

The case highlights the growing frustration among Maine residents over the federal government’s immigration‑law enforcement policies. It also raises questions about the extent to which elected officials can respond to grassroots activism. While the charges have been dropped, the protesters’ continued opposition to Collins’ stance on ICE suggests that the debate over the state’s role in national immigration policy is far from over.

For the nine individuals who had been held in county jail for months, the dismissal marks a relief, but it also underscores the power of public protest to bring attention to contested policies. As the state’s demonstration requests continue to climb, it remains to be seen how local prosecutors and elected officials will navigate the increasingly visible pushback against federal immigration‑law enforcement initiatives.