Maine Democrats call to abolish ICE after Biddeford shooting

An ICE officer fatally shot a Colombian motorist in Biddeford on Monday, and four Maine Democratic Senate candidates responded by saying the agency should be abolished or dismantled. The shooting quickly became a flashpoint in a race that is resetting around immigration, Susan Collins and the collapse of Graham Platner's campaign.

Dan Kleban and Jordan Wood are among the Democrats now competing to replace Platner as the party's nominee against Collins, with Shenna Bellows and Sarah Gleason also in the field. The candidates were asked how they would reform ICE, and all four answered by calling for the agency’s abolition or breakup. That position has gained room inside the race as Democrats face a deadline to replace Platner after his campaign imploded.

The pressure landed directly on Collins, who had voted to fund ICE without policy changes. After the Biddeford shooting, protesters gathered outside her office in the city and some chanted, "Vote her out." At a rally, Democratic state representative Sophie Warren said ICE was "absolutely out of control."

The killing also carried national weight beyond Maine. It was the second time in a week that ICE officers had used deadly force in the United States, turning the Biddeford episode into part of a broader argument over immigration enforcement and the role Collins has played as a political middleman with the Trump administration.