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The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Angus King, a Maine impartial, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 25, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go to Impartial Senator Angus King, who joins us from Maine. Good morning to you, Senator.
SEN. ANGUS KING: Good morning, Margaret. Good to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good to have you ever right here. And I perceive that in your state, ICE simply launched this operation “Catch of the Day,” which an official instructed CBS would goal Somali immigrants, amongst others, focusing on 1400 prison aliens who’ve quote, unquote, terrorized communities in Maine. What’s been the impression? Have you learnt what number of arrests there have been?
SEN. KING: There have been one thing like 100 that DHS has instructed us- and by the best way, to observe up on Chief Scalise’s earlier remark, that worst of the worst web site that DHS has established. They record 13 individuals in Maine. They concede that- or they state that they’ve arrested 100. I need to know who the opposite 83 are- I am sorry, 87. My math is off. However the level is that this worst of the worst factor is a pretext. What they’re actually doing goes after people who find themselves right here. They’re asylum seekers. They’re within the course of. They’ve inexperienced playing cards. We have had quite a few circumstances in Maine of individuals being stopped and detained with zero prison report, together with a recruit for the sheriff’s workplace to be a guard on the at the- on the county jail. So this concept that it is the worst of the worst is simply nonsense.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, yesterday, your governor launched a press release saying she’s requested a gathering with President Trump to withdraw brokers from Maine. Powers of the state authorities appear extraordinarily restricted right here while you take a look at Minnesota. Does Maine have any potential to cease this?
SEN. KING: Properly, I believe we may be speaking with DHS and speaking with the President. I am attempting to work together with DHS simply to get some questions answered. They inform me, I’ve to submit my questions in writing, after which they will get again to me in writing perhaps in per week or two. I imply, , I characterize the individuals of my state. They should not be- I should not should undergo plenty of bureaucratic purple tape to get some solutions. However this- this is the actual drawback, Margaret, the individuals which can be being terrorized in Maine are being terrorized by ICE. They don’t seem to be being terrorized by criminals. And ICE says we’re taking we’re- we’re not going to be terrorizing individuals with criminals on our streets. This is what’s occurring in Portland. Individuals are afraid to ship their children to high school. Individuals are afraid to go to work. Companies are struggling as a result of their staff cannot are available in. Households are sending meals to their- to their associates who’re afraid to return out. That is the actual impression of this, and it far outweighs any profit that is being accrued by these- by these heavy handed techniques.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, when it comes to attending to a spot the place, , this may be settled peacefully, one of many issues the administration argues many times is, oh, we had been compelled to do all this as a result of the final administration, , did not do ample jobs when it- job on the border. However in addition they level to Sanctuary legal guidelines. Maine is about to have a regulation in place by this summer time that may prohibit native regulation enforcement from working with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. Is there a manner ahead right here between states like Maine and the federal authorities on the subject of peacefully extracting, peacefully, , finishing up inside enforcement?
SEN. KING: Properly, you place your finger on it. Margaret within the final interview, the query just isn’t, ought to we implement the regulation? Ought to we be attempting to expel harmful criminals? The query is, how is it completed? I did some research this morning. Obama throughout his administration, there have been one thing like 2.7 million removals, however you did not have individuals roaming the streets with masks on. By the best way, I’ve by no means seen regulation enforcement with masks on in my life. The place I come from, the individuals sporting masks are the dangerous guys. However you did not have this heavy handed, closely armed, , bulletproof vest form of factor. And there have been no incidents that I might discover of the type that we have seen simply in the previous few weeks in Minnesota throughout that 2.7 million removals throughout Obama’s administration. We have got about 600,000 and and we’re having these incidents everywhere in the nation, so it is not necessary- you’ll be able to implement the legal guidelines towards unlawful immigration and- and folks which can be criminals with out ransacking our cities and terrorizing our residents.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is having reverberations in Washington, as you effectively know. Chief Schumer mentioned Democrats is not going to vote for the appropriations invoice if DHS funding is included. Which means we might see a partial shutdown right here. Have you learnt how you are going to vote?
SEN. KING: Margaret, I hate shutdowns. I am one of many people who helped negotiate the answer to the last- the top of the final shutdown, however I can not vote for a invoice that features ace funding below the circumstances. What they’re doing in my state, what we noticed yesterday in Minneapolis. There’s a simple manner out, by the best way, Chief Thune might separate, which is what they did in the home, separate the 5 different appropriation payments, put them on the ground. They’d move, I believe, overwhelmingly. Then let’s take up DHS. And by the best way, if these payments move, 96% of the federal authorities is funded. Take up DHS by itself. Let’s have an sincere negotiation. Put some guardrails on what is going on on, some accountability, and that may resolve this drawback. We do not have to have a shutdown.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In order that’s your path to keep away from a shutdown. However shortly, I need to ask you about rhetoric in Arizona, the state AG mentioned ICE just isn’t actual regulation enforcement. Minnesota’s governor additionally mentioned, give up referring to those individuals as regulation enforcement, they are not regulation enforcement. Do you contemplate ICE regulation enforcement?
SEN. KING: I assume I technically would, however I do not- again- effectively, let me, let me put it within the phrases of the sheriff in- in Cumberland County, Maine once they took one among his recruits, he known as it ‘bush league policing.’ And I believe that type of summarizes it and- and there isn’t any want for this overwhelming present of power. I consider what we’re seeing is an try to intimidate the American individuals. Once more, armed individuals with masks and- and telling individuals they cannot {photograph} what they’re doing, and intimidating protesters. That is- that is not America. And then you definately talked about in your earlier interview concerning the going into homes with none warrant. That is a blatant violation of the Fourth Modification. These persons are performing outdoors the Structure. They’re ignoring our legal guidelines, and we simply cannot keep- hold supporting that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper. Senator King, thanks for becoming a member of us immediately. We’ll be proper again.
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