An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine on Monday morning, marking the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in less than a week and the seventh such death since Trump took office in January 2025.
The victim was identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a delivery driver who lived in the town of 22,000 with his wife and three-year-old daughter. ICE said officers attempted to stop a vehicle around 7:20am after conducting surveillance of a last known address associated with someone bearing a deportation order. The agency stated the vehicle attempted to flee, prompting an officer to fire his weapon out of concern for public safety. Guerrero was struck and died from his injuries despite immediate emergency response.
The shooting triggered swift pushback from elected officials. Senator Angus King said he contacted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and pressed state and local authorities to maintain involvement in the FBI-led investigation. King also flagged the absence of body cameras on ICE agents during the operation.
Hours after the incident, dozens of protesters gathered in Biddeford chanting demands for ICE to leave the area. Demonstrators also directed criticism at Republican Senator Susan Collins over her voting record on Department of Homeland Security funding.
The Maine killing falls into a pattern of escalating violence during immigration enforcement. A similar fatal shooting occurred in Texas just days earlier. Since Trump launched his deportation campaign at the start of his second term, at least seven people have been shot dead during immigration enforcement operations nationwide.
The rising death toll threatens to intensify scrutiny of ICE's enforcement methods and the broader deportation campaign. Rights advocates and lawmakers have raised alarm about inadequate oversight and transparency, particularly given the lack of body camera footage documenting such high-stakes encounters.
Author James Rodriguez: "Seven bodies in two months tells you everything about how fast this deportation machine is running and how little anyone seems willing to pump the brakes."
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