Fatal ICE shooting in Maine raises scrutiny over federal tactics

Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, along with Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, asked for an expedited independent review on Tuesday after an ICE shooting in Biddeford killed a 26-year-old Colombian national and sent protesters into the streets. They sought a detailed timeline, a review of whether ICE tactics complied with use-of-force policy, clarification on whether audio, dashcam or body-camera footage exists, and an accounting of how much state and local law enforcement was involved.

Gov. Janet Mills said Maine State Police were on scene and working with the attorney general’s office, the chief medical examiner and federal officials to determine what happened. Sen. Angus King said he spoke with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin soon after the shooting and was told Durán Guerrero had been given an order to leave the country and had "weaponized" his vehicle. King also said there were no body cameras on the agents, leaving no video evidence of the encounter.

Protesters gathered in Biddeford the day of the shooting. Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain called for a full, thorough and transparent investigation. Durán Guerrero had been working legally in the United States, had a 3-year-old daughter and earned income delivering food through apps such as Uber Eats, often with his child in the car.

DHS said the man in Maine was not the target of the warrant, while King said the person killed was not the person agents were seeking. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the ICE officer would be placed on leave, and King said the FBI would lead the investigation because the encounter involved a federal operation. The Colombian Embassy in Washington said it regretted the death of a Colombian national in Biddeford, requested clarification from DHS and was helping the family.

The Biddeford shooting came six days after another fatal ICE shooting in Houston on July 7, when agents shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a vehicle stop. After the two deaths, ICE suspended most vehicle stops nationwide, a pause that applies to Enforcement and Removal Operations but not to Homeland Security Investigations.