Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) issued a public statement backing operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within his state. “Federal law enforcement agencies have the right and responsibility to enforce federal laws, including immigration laws, and a targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals who have engaged in criminal activity serves the public interest. It’s also true that for long-term stability and social cohesion, law enforcement requires public trust. DHS should prioritize its enforcement actions on public safety and must themselves comply with federal laws. Immigrants with legal status should not be targeted, court authorities should be obeyed and due process must be followed,” Golden said. “Free speech and lawful protest are protected rights, but regardless of how anyone feels about immigration policy or ICE’s tactics, people must not obstruct or impede law enforcement activities. And all of us — including public officials — must resist the urge to amplify tensions or spread unverified reports. That is a recipe for confrontation and escalation that helps no one,” he added. Federal law enforcement agencies have the right and responsibility to enforce federal laws, including immigration laws, and a targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals who have engaged in criminal activity serves the public interest. It’s also true that for… — Congressman Jared Golden (@RepGolden) January 22, 2026 Newsweek has more: Golden has faced criticism from more progressive Democrats over his stance on ICE, with commentator Wajahat Ali responding on X, “Retire today, you feckless coward.” Golden represents a congressional district consisting of the state’s more conservative rural areas as well as some more Democratic-leaning cities like Bangor and Lewiston. Trump won the district by nearly 10 points in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris, while Golden won by less than a single percentage point. It is the more conservative district in the state, which leans Democratic in most races. Maine backed Harris by about seven points in 2024 and had never allocated its statewide votes to Trump. Golden was one of a handful of Democrats to vote in favor of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. BREAKING: The House votes 220-207 to pass the DHS funding bill, which also funds TSA, FEMA, etc. Only 7 Democrats voted with GOP. Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)Gillen (D-NY)Davis (D-NC)Golden (D-ME)Cuellar (D-TX)Suozzi (D-NY)Gonzalez (D-TX) Lone GOP no vote was Massie — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 22, 2026 Maine Public shared further info: The Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement campaign in Maine appears to be widening a rift over homeland security funding among members of Maine’s congressional delegation. Maine’s two U.S House members — Democratic Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden — had already used starkly different language to describe immigration operations taking place around Lewiston and in the Greater Portland area. But a vote on the House floor on Thursday — the third day of stepped-up ICE operations in Maine — underscored those differences. Pingree, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee that crafts federal spending bills, joined the vast majority of Democrats in opposing a bill to provide $64 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement. The measure contained roughly $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which Pingree on Thursday accused of “terrorizing” Maine residents. Pingree, who represents the 1st District, has also called for the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. But Golden was one of just seven Democrats to vote for the bill. Golden, who represents the more rural and conservative 2nd District, noted in a statement that blocking the measure would have affected funding for the Coast Guard, FEMA, the Transportation Security Administration and other public safety agencies. “Failure to fund DHS would undermine public safety and emergency response services,” Golden said in a statement. “To me, that was never an option. By engaging in the process, rather than blocking it, we secured funding for body cameras and de-escalation training — two proven tactics embraced by law enforcement agencies across the country — that I believe will support responsible law enforcement and begin to restore trust.”