ICE agent fatally shoots Colombian national during operation in Maine
An ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian man who attempted to flee in a vehicle toward the agent in Maine; the agent has been placed on leave pending an investigation by the DHS Inspector General.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that the incident involved an officer from ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division. Initial statements indicate the subject tried to flee in a vehicle toward the officer, who then fatally shot him. The deceased's name is withheld pending formal identification and family notification.
The Colombian Embassy confirmed the victim was a Colombian national and has requested information and clarification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition identified the man as a 26-year-old Colombian authorized to work in the U.S., who lived with his wife and daughter.
Protests erupted in Biddeford, where witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots. Senator Susan Collins called for a full and impartial investigation. Senator Angus King noted that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin initially said the man was the target of an immigration warrant, but later clarified he was not. King added that officers lacked body cameras and the investigation will assess whether deadly force was justified.
This incident follows a similar case in July, when an ICE agent shot a Mexican national in Houston who was not the intended target. Mullin took over DHS in March after Kristi Noem was fired; under Noem, two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration agents. An immigration surge operation in Maine called "Operation Catch of the Day" began in January, prompting a lawsuit from civil rights groups over aggressive tactics.
