A federal immigration agent fatally shot a motorist in Biddeford, Maine, marking the second time in a week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers used deadly force. The incident occurred on July 13 in the coastal city, about 15 miles southwest of Portland. Maine Sen. Angus King, citing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, stated the agent fired after the man allegedly tried to "weaponize" his vehicle against agents pursuing him for deportation. This fatality is at least the ninth death from an encounter with federal immigration officials since the start of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
The victim was a 26-year-old Colombian native, authorized to work in the U.S. and possessing a Social Security number, according to advocacy groups Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente! The man's family, in contact with the Immigrants' Rights Coalition, has not yet publicly identified him. The FBI is leading the investigation, with state authorities, including the state attorney general's office and chief medical examiner's office, also involved. Sen. King emphasized the need for transparency, questioning whether the threat level justified deadly force.
The shooting has ignited protests and sharp condemnation from lawmakers and advocates. State House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed federal involvement and criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. Bellows noted this is at least the 11th fatal shooting involving ICE or Border Patrol under Trump, asserting, "It's time to get ICE off our streets." Rep. Chellie Pingree questioned ICE's presence in Maine, while Mufalo Chitam of the Immigrants' Rights Coalition expressed grief and fury, stating, "We will not allow his death to be treated as routine or inevitable."
This incident follows another fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Houston the previous week, where 52-year-old Salgado Araujo was killed. These events occur amid a newly intensified push by the Trump administration for mass deportations. Between the start of Trump's second term and March 11, 2026, ICE arrested 546 people in Maine; while about 45% had criminal backgrounds, the data indicates a decrease from approximately 69% in the equivalent period before Trump's presidency, suggesting an expansion of enforcement beyond those with criminal histories.
The Department of Homeland Security previously conducted “Operation Catch of the Day” in Maine, an enforcement surge in January that drew strong backlash before being scaled back. No body-worn camera footage of the Biddeford shooting is available, as agents did not have them. Security camera footage from a nearby laundromat reportedly shows the man's car rolling into an intersection with bullet holes in the windshield after shots were fired, with a witness indicating the driver may not have been alive when the car started rolling.
