An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday. The man, who has not been publicly identified by authorities but was named by advocacy groups Presente! and the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition as a 26-year-old authorized to work in the U.S. with a Social Security number, was not the target of the original arrest warrant. Maine Senator Angus King confirmed that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the victim was not the intended target. The ICE spokesperson stated that agents were conducting surveillance on the last known address of an "illegal alien" with a final order of removal when the vehicle attempted to flee, and an officer discharged their weapon "fearing for public safety." Local resident Daniel Boucher, 71, reported seeing a large white vehicle ram a smaller one before hearing shots around 7:30 a.m. and an officer pulling out a man with a profusely bleeding head.
The shooting has sparked multiple investigations, including by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the state attorney general's office. Senator King noted that the ICE agents involved did not have body cameras, and while they are being distributed, they were not available in Biddeford at the time. The incident has drawn significant scrutiny, with dozens of protesters gathering in Biddeford holding signs such as "ICE just killed my neighbor." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., described the killing as "in cold blood" and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a "complete, independent, and transparent investigation immediately."
This marks the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration officials within a week, following the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, after officers chased his van. Both incidents occur amid a recent surge in ICE arrests, with over 1,300 people arrested on Saturday and more than 1,100 on Sunday, significantly higher than the average of 600 arrests per day last month. These increased enforcement actions align with a push from DHS leadership and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller to achieve 2,000 arrests per day. Governor Janet Mills of Maine has been briefed on the shooting, and Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain expressed being "shaken" and emphasized the community's need for clear answers.
While ICE stated the driver "weaponized" the vehicle by trying to run over officers, this narrative has been questioned by some officials. Senator King addressed this directly, asking "Were officers threatened? Were the threats rising to the level that justified deadly force?" This question will be central to the investigations. The Colombian Embassy in Washington is working to confirm the victim's identity and nationality. Critics, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, have called for an end to ICE's presence in the state, stating, "It's time to get ICE off our streets."
