A fatal shooting involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent is under investigation after a 26-year-old Colombian man was killed Monday morning during an immigration enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine.
State and federal authorities launched investigations into the fatal shooting of the motorist by an ICE agent, which occurred around 7:20 a.m. near the intersection of Pool and Hill streets. It marks the second time in a week that federal immigration personnel have used deadly force in the United States.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office announced it is spearheading the investigation alongside the FBI and local law enforcement. According to an official statement from the attorney general’s office, the immigration agent has been placed on administrative leave following the incident. Homeland Security officials contend the victim attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon during the encounter, prompting the agent to open fire. Witnesses, however, described a chaotic scene involving unmarked federal vehicles surrounding and colliding with the man’s car before gunfire erupted. Initial findings indicate that the agent “was conducting an enforcement operation related to a final order of removal when the subject attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer and was fatally shot,” the statement from the Main AG’s office says. Investigators have not yet released a complete timeline of events, and authorities have also confirmed that the agents involved were not wearing body cameras.
The victim reportedly lived in southern Maine with his wife and young daughter and had authorization to work in the United States, according to community advocates. His death prompted protests in Biddeford, where demonstrators called for greater transparency and accountability in federal immigration enforcement. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Sen. Angus King and Rep. Chellie Pingree have all called for a thorough, independent investigation, with King stating that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that the driver was the intended target of the immigration enforcement action. According to King, Mullin asserted that the individual “weaponized” the vehicle before the shooting. However, a civilian witness who observed the immediate aftermath told local media that federal agents extracted the driver from his vehicle while he was bleeding heavily, and overheard the man state, “I tried to stop.”
The shooting comes as ICE enforcement activity has increased nationwide, drawing heightened scrutiny over the agency’s use-of-force policies. The incident follows another fatal ICE shooting in Houston less than a week earlier, further intensifying debate over immigration enforcement practices.
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