ICE Shooting in Maine Leaves Colombian Man Dead, Raises Questions Over Immigration Operation

A 26-year-old Colombian man was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an immigration enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, marking the second fatal ICE-involved shooting in less than a week.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies after officials acknowledged the victim was not the individual originally sought in the operation.

Senator Angus King of Maine initially said he had been informed that the victim was the subject of an ICE arrest warrant related to his immigration status. However, he later said the Department of Homeland Security clarified that the man who was killed was not the intended target.

“The person that was killed was not the person they were seeking,” King told CNN, calling for a “full, transparent and open investigation.” He also said the ICE agents involved were apparently not wearing body cameras.

According to ICE, officers attempted to stop a vehicle around 7:00 a.m. after conducting surveillance at the last known address of a person with a deportation order. The agency said the vehicle attempted to flee, prompting an officer to open fire out of concern for public safety. The driver was struck and later died from his injuries.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation into the shooting, while ICE said the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave in accordance with agency protocol.

Witness Daniel Boucher, who was nearby at the time, told AFP he heard several gunshots before seeing officers remove a bloodied man from a white vehicle. Boucher said he heard the victim say, “I tried to stop,” before he collapsed.

The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente Maine identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian national, saying he was authorized to work legally in the United States. The organizations criticized the shooting and called for accountability.

Maine Governor Janet Mills described the incident as “horrifying” and said reports that the victim was not the intended target made the tragedy “even more disturbing.” She criticized what she described as reckless immigration enforcement operations.

Following the shooting, residents gathered near the scene with candles and flowers, while protesters demonstrated with signs reading “ICE Out!” and called for greater transparency.

The fatal shooting comes just days after an ICE agent fatally shot a Mexican man during a vehicle stop in Texas, further fueling debate over the agency’s enforcement tactics and use of force.