ICE Shooting of Maine Motorist Fuels Scrutiny of Agency's Use of Force
Killing of a 26-year-old Colombian national during a traffic stop marks the second fatal ICE shooting in a week, drawing bipartisan criticism in Maine.
A federal immigration agent fatally shot a motorist south of Portland, Maine, on Monday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to pull him over, according to PBS NewsHour. The man, identified as 26-year-old Colombian national Joan Sebastian Guerrero, was killed in what ICE described as a case of self-defense.
ICE said Guerrero tried to flee the traffic stop and used his vehicle as a weapon, prompting an agent to open fire. The shooting was the second time in a week that ICE has used deadly force on American soil, and at least the ninth death since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown, PBS NewsHour reported.
The incident has reignited debate in Maine over federal accountability. Sen. Angus King, an independent, told PBS NewsHour that federal authorities lack credibility and argued local officials need a role in investigating the shooting. Maine Democrats separately criticized Republican Sen. Susan Collins over her response to the killing, according to PBS NewsHour.
The shooting follows a similar fatal encounter involving ICE in Houston, part of a string of deadly confrontations between federal immigration agents and the public this year that has intensified calls in Congress and in affected states for independent review of agency use-of-force policies.
ICE has not released additional details on the encounter beyond its account that Guerrero attempted to flee and endangered the agent with his vehicle. The agency's use of deadly force during traffic stops has become a flashpoint as the administration's immigration enforcement push expands into more communities nationwide.
— Compiled from reporting by PBS NewsHour.