Key facts
- An ICE agent fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian motorist in Biddeford, Maine.
- The motorist was authorized to work in the U.S.
- Conflicting accounts exist regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
- The incident is the ninth death linked to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General are investigating.
- Protests against ICE have occurred in Biddeford.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a motorist in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday. The 26-year-old Colombian man, who had permission to work in the U.S., was killed when an officer opened fire, with authorities stating his vehicle was perceived as a threat. This incident marks the ninth death recorded since President Donald Trump initiated his campaign against irregular immigration.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that officers were monitoring the residence of an individual with a final deportation order. When the driver attempted to flee the scene in a vehicle, an officer discharged their weapon, citing public safety concerns.
However, Maine Senator Angus King presented a different account after consulting with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. According to King, the officer fired because the man allegedly attempted to use his car as a weapon against the agents, who were not equipped with body cameras. Mullin also clarified that the officers were responding to an arrest warrant that did not match the individual ultimately shot.
Maine's attorney general is conducting a separate investigation. Initial findings suggest the driver was attempting to flee toward the officer, who has since been suspended. Security camera footage obtained by the Associated Press shows a white vehicle circling an intersection before being stopped by a police pickup, after which officers removed a person from the driver's seat.
Migrant advocacy groups confirmed the deceased individual was legally authorized to work in the United States. The victim's family has been in contact with the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, though they are not yet ready to speak publicly. Neighbors described the man as a good person who lived with his wife and daughter.
Several hundred protesters gathered in Biddeford to call for the abolition of ICE, while a smaller group supported the agency and President Trump. The shooting follows a similar fatal ICE incident on July 7 in Houston, where agents killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Data from the University of Berkeley's Deportation Data Project indicates that ICE detained 546 people in Maine between the start of Trump’s second term and March 11, 2026, with 45% having criminal records.