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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, the second such killing by federal agents in less than a week.
An ICE spokesperson stated Monday that officers attempted to stop a vehicle after conducting surveillance on the last known address of an individual facing a deportation order.
Senator Angus King of Maine revealed that the victim was not the intended target of the operation. Demanding a comprehensive, transparent investigation, King also highlighted that the involved officers were reportedly not equipped with body cameras.
Witness Daniel Boucher, 71, stated that he heard the victim say something to the effect of "I tried to stop" before collapsing to the ground. Boucher recounted watching from a vantage point where only the man's legs and midsection were visible, noting that he realized the victim had died once his breathing ceased.
Protesters rallied in the area with signs condemning ICE and local authorities before gathering at the office of Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain stated that the victim's family and the local community deserve transparent explanations regarding the fatal incident
The Biddeford shooting follows recent fatal encounters involving ICE agents, including the killing of a Mexican national in Texas the previous week and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. These incidents have triggered nationwide protests and mounting scrutiny over the agency's enforcement tactics.
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