A federal immigration officer shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, during what the Department of Homeland Security described as a routine removal operation. The incident occurred early Monday morning as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were conducting surveillance on a man subject to a final order of removal.
According to a statement from the Maine attorney general's office, the man was killed around 7.20am after he attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer, prompting the use of deadly force. Witnesses reported that the man was shot in the head, though ICE and DHS have not commented on the details.
The shooting has sparked political condemnation. Senator Angus King raised concerns that ICE agents were not wearing body cameras, while Senator Ed Markey called the killing 'murder' and urged the abolition of ICE. Meanwhile, dozens of protesters gathered in Biddeford, chanting 'get ICE out' and criticising Republican Senator Susan Collins for her support of the agency.
The incident comes just days after another fatal shooting by an immigration officer during a traffic stop in Texas. The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine identified the deceased as a 26-year-old Colombian man, though his name has not been released.
