ICE agent fatally shoots man during immigration operation in Maine, sparking FBI investigation and protests | Today’s news
A federal immigration agent fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian man during an immigration operation in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, the second fatal shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in less than a week.
The shooting is now under investigation by the FBI and has sparked protests, demands for transparency and renewed scrutiny of the Trump administration’s campaign to strengthen immigration.
What happened?
The shooting happened during an ICE operation in Biddeford, a coastal town about 25 miles southwest of Portland.
According to Sen. Angus King, who said he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the man tried to use his vehicle against federal agents before the officer opened fire.
“He was in a vehicle — pulled out in a vehicle and the secretary used the term ‘arming’ the vehicle and he was shot by an ICE agent,” King said.
Authorities have not publicly released the identity of the victim. However, advocacy groups identified him as a 26-year-old Colombian national who was legally authorized to work in the United States and possessed a Social Security number.
Photos from the scene showed a vehicle with apparent bullet holes in the windshield leaning against a white SUV with its emergency lights activated.
No body cameras
King said the ICE agents involved were not equipped with body cameras, raising concerns about what evidence would be available during the investigation.
“The question is, what did he do with his vehicle?” said the king.
“Were the officers threatened? Did the threat rise to a level that justified deadly force? That’s what this investigation is all about.”
He added that he would continue to push for a “full, transparent and thorough” investigation.
The federal investigation is being led by the FBI and is also involving the Maine State Police, the Attorney General’s Office and the Chief Medical Examiner.
Advocacy groups are demanding answers
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! condemned the shooting and called it unacceptable.
“This is devastating, upsetting and unacceptable,” the groups said in a joint statement.
They called on authorities to provide the victim’s family and the public with full information about what happened during the encounter.
Protests erupt in Biddeford
The shooting sparked demonstrations in Biddeford later Monday.
About 200 protesters gathered at a local park before marching to the office of Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking re-election this year.
About ten protesters entered the building’s lobby chanting slogans including “ICE out!” and “Vote her!” and at the same time requires more responsibility.
The protest was peaceful and no arrests were reported.
Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, whose congressional district includes Biddeford, criticized the operation.
“More than anything, I want to know: why are you in Maine?” she said in a video posted on social media.
Second fatal ICE shooting in less than a week
The Maine incident comes just six days after another ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop in Houston.
ICE said Salgado, who it described as a Mexican national living in the United States illegally, crashed into a police vehicle and attempted to run over an officer before being shot in self-defense. The agency has not publicly released evidence supporting this account.
According to Reuters, the shooting in Maine marks at least the ninth death linked to an encounter with federal immigration officials since the Trump administration began an expanded immigration enforcement campaign.
Increase in immigration arrests
The fatal shooting comes at a time of heightened nationwide deportation efforts.
Internal ICE data reviewed by Reuters showed that the number of arrests in Maine had more than quadrupled since early June, reaching about 70 arrests a day in early July.
Nationwide, ICE arrested more than 10,000 people in five days in late June, reflecting the administration’s continued push to speed up deportations across the United States.