ICE agent who fatally shot man in Maine had history of violence, relatives say
Relatives of David Brouillette, an ICE agent who shot and killed Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Maine, said he had a record of violent behavior and mental health issues, raising questions about hiring practices amid a rapid expansion of immigration enforcement.
David Brouillette, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who shot and killed 25-year-old Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero near his home in Biddeford, Maine on Monday, had a troubled history of violent behavior, according to relatives.
Reports from The Associated Press and CBS News on Thursday quoted Brouillette's ex-wife, Ashley Brouillette, and her mother, stating that Brouillette struggled with mental health issues from an early age and displayed a pattern of physical abuse. Ashley divorced him in 2009 after he allegedly became physically abusive when she became pregnant with their daughter. In one incident, she said Brouillette threw boiling water at her while she was holding their child.
"I don't understand how he keeps getting these jobs where there are firearms involved. He's a danger to society. He's a danger to people and to himself," Ashley Brouillette told CBS News.
The revelations have drawn renewed scrutiny to hiring practices at federal immigration agencies, which have been criticized for loosening standards to expand their ranks. President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, prompting ICE to conduct a hiring spree.
In January, ICE reported a 120 percent increase in manpower, adding 12,000 new hires. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed to those figures as evidence that the Trump administration prioritized expansion over public safety.
"The Trump administration rushed 12,000 agents onto our streets without ensuring they were fit to carry a badge and a gun," Schumer said. "Republicans gave this rogue agency vast power and no accountability."
Brouillette's shooting of Duran Guerrero occurred just days after another fatal incident on July 7 in Houston, Texas, where an ICE agent killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. At least 10 people have died in incidents involving ICE agents since Trump's immigration crackdown began, which has been criticized for aggressive methods and civil liberties violations.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called the reports "absolutely appalling" and said the agent should never have had a gun. "And now a man is dead. I'm going to continue demanding answers and accountability," he added.
