PORTLAND –– ICE agents arrested a Cumberland County Corrections officer recruit in Portland Wednesday evening, according to Sheriff Kevin Joyce. Joyce confirmed ICE agents arrested the man, whom Joyce declined to identify, during a vehicle stop in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood at about 6 p.m. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it was conducting “Operation Catch of the Day” in Maine. According to the department, agents were “targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who have terrorized communities.” Joyce said the man applied in fall 2024 and was hired in February 2025 after undergoing the standard vetting process. Joyce said that included a criminal background check, an interview conducted with a polygraph and an examination of legal work status. “Every indication we found is that this was a squeaky-clean individual that really hadn’t done anything at all,” he said. Joyce said he knew the man was an immigrant, and that the man had a work permit that was active through 2029. Joyce said he had been in contact with ICE agents about the arrest, but so far all they told him is that the man was in the U.S. illegally and was arrested on “an ICE violation.” Joyce said he asked the agents for a copy of the man’s arrest report. When asked if he believed he’d get it, Joyce said “time will tell.” Joyce said he was trying to keep an open mind until he sees the report but spoke out against ICE tactics. In particular, he criticized agents for taking the man away while leaving his vehicle behind unsecured. “Folks, that’s bush-league policing,” he said. Joyce said he believed the man was being held in Boston.