Colombian Man Killed During ICE Operation in Maine as Federal Investigation Begins
A Colombian national was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, prompting a federal investigation and protests over the agency's use of deadly force.
The shooting occurred during an early morning operation targeting an individual with a final order of removal. Federal officials said the man who was killed was struck after an ICE officer opened fire as a vehicle attempted to leave the scene.
ICE Says Agent Fired After Vehicle Attempted to Flee
According to ICE, officers from its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division were conducting surveillance at a residence in Biddeford around 7 a.m. EDT.
Authorities said agents attempted to stop a vehicle leaving the property, but the driver allegedly tried to flee. ICE stated that an officer discharged a weapon after fearing for public safety, striking the driver.
The agency has not released additional details explaining what prompted the officer to believe deadly force was necessary.
Maine Attorney General Opens Investigation
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said preliminary information indicates the driver attempted to drive toward an officer before being fatally shot.
The ICE agent involved has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.
Officials have not publicly identified the man pending formal identification and notification of his family.
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General has assumed responsibility for investigating the shooting.
Victim Was Colombian National
Colombia's embassy confirmed that the man killed was a Colombian citizen and said it has requested additional information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The embassy said it will continue monitoring the investigation as authorities determine exactly what happened.
The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian authorized to work in the United States, though the organization did not publicly release his name.
Questions Raised About Immigration Operation
Sen. Angus King said he initially understood the man who died was the subject of an immigration arrest warrant. However, he later said Homeland Security officials informed him that the victim was not the intended target of the enforcement action.
King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the driver allegedly used the vehicle as a weapon while attempting to flee, leading to the shooting.
The senator also noted that the ICE officers involved were not wearing body cameras, adding that investigators will examine whether the use of deadly force was justified.
Community Protests Follow Shooting
The incident sparked demonstrations in Biddeford later Monday, with protesters gathering near the scene and outside the office of Sen. Susan Collins.
Collins called for a full and impartial investigation, while protesters criticized recent congressional funding for ICE and demanded greater transparency surrounding the agency's enforcement operations.
Witnesses told local media they saw unmarked vehicles and federal agents wearing ICE vests surrounding a white sedan before hearing several gunshots.
One resident described seeing the victim's family at the scene immediately after the shooting, while another witness said the man lived nearby with his wife and young daughter.
Shooting Adds to Scrutiny of ICE Use of Force
The Maine shooting comes just one week after another fatal ICE shooting in Houston, Texas, where 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, was killed during an immigration enforcement operation.
Federal officials later acknowledged that Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of that operation, though authorities said he allegedly attempted to drive his vehicle toward an ICE agent.
The two incidents have intensified scrutiny of ICE enforcement tactics and the agency's use of deadly force as federal investigators review both cases.
