Colombian Migrant Fatally Shot by ICE Agent in Maine Vehicle Incident
Reporting based primarily on english.elpais.com.
A 26-year-old Colombian migrant was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday in an incident involving a vehicle that authorities said was used as a weapon, the latest in a series of deaths linked to U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Maine Shooting Details
The deceased was identified by two migrant-rights organizations in Maine as a 26-year-old Colombian man who had authorization to work in the United States and possessed a Social Security number. [1] Authorities had not released the victim’s identity hours after the shooting. [1] Maine Senator Angus King stated that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the incident as one in which the man allegedly attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers who were pursuing him and that the deceased was subject to a deportation order. [1] King quoted the secretary as saying the man “was in a vehicle — pulled out in the vehicle, and the term the secretary used was ‘weaponized’ the vehicle and was shot by an ICE agent.” [1] The agents involved were not wearing body cameras. [1] The FBI is leading the investigation. [1] Local witnesses told the Portland Press Herald that they heard gunshots and saw officers attempting to stop a vehicle driven by the man who was shot. [1] One witness reported seeing the man exit the car bleeding from his head. [1] A video shared with CNN showed officers trying to stop a white car that was circling an intersection, and images from the scene showed bullet holes in the vehicle’s windshield. [1] Corey Poulin, whose family runs a laundromat near the site, told the Associated Press that two ICE members ran to the intersection and another ICE member in a Ford SUV went into the intersection to stop the car from rolling, adding that he did not believe the man was alive when the car started rolling. [1] Biddeford is a city of more than 21,000 residents located 15 miles south of Portland, Maine. [1] The Maine State Police and the FBI are at the scene along with the Biddeford Police Crime Scene Unit. [1]
Link to Recent Houston Killing
The Maine incident came less than a week after another federal agent fatally shot Mexican migrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas. [1] Salgado was killed while driving to work. [1] The Department of Homeland Security initially stated that the federal agent fired because he felt threatened, a version of events that witnesses have disputed. [1] Authorities later confirmed that Salgado, who had lived in the United States for more than three decades, was not the intended target and had been mistaken for another migrant under surveillance. [1] His family, politicians, and several civil-rights organizations have called for a full investigation. [1] This is not the first time the Department of Homeland Security has sought to justify a fatal shooting by federal agents by claiming that the deceased attempted to run over or attack officers with a vehicle. [1]
Broader Pattern of ICE-Related Deaths
The aggressive manner in which ICE operations have been conducted has resulted in several fatalities this year, including those of U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January. [1] In addition, 21 people have died while being held in immigration detention centers. [1] At this rate, the number of deaths will surpass the 33 people who died in ICE custody last year, which marked a historic record. [1] President Donald Trump’s administration has turned over to Minneapolis prosecutors evidence on immigration agents’ killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and wounding of a Venezuelan man during deportation sweeps in January. [5]
Official Responses and Investigation
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau announced the shooting on social media, writing that a person was killed, ICE was involved, State Police and the Department of Public Safety are now on the scene to gather details, and the FBI would be expected to investigate as well. [1] Fecteau added that he would provide further updates as they are relayed to him. [1] Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, stated that she had been briefed about the fatal shooting in Biddeford involving federal law enforcement and that situations like this are alarming and frightening. [1] Mills noted that the Maine State Police are at the scene and working cooperatively with the Attorney General’s Office, Maine’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and federal officials to determine the facts. [1] Senator Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin assured him that the FBI is leading the investigation. [1]
Community Reaction
Crystal Cron, executive director of Presente! Maine, said the community is taking immediate action to protect and care for the family shattered by state violence and that the death will not be reduced to a footnote in enforcement statistics. [1] The organization Biddeford Saco for Racial Justice called for a protest against ICE at noon in Mechanics Park in Biddeford, and demonstrators have already begun gathering in the city. [1] Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine reported details about the deceased. [1]
What to watch next: The FBI investigation into the Biddeford shooting continues with updates expected from Maine officials, while Minneapolis prosecutors review evidence on the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
