ICE shooting in Maine kills Colombian man, prompts investigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents killed Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, after a confrontation tied to an enforcement operation that began with surveillance on a last known address. The death of the 26-year-old Colombian man living in Maine has prompted protests and a vigil.

The shooting happened Monday morning, July 13, in Biddeford, about 15 miles south of Portland. The Department of Homeland Security focused the operation on a person with a final order of removal and encountered Guerrero around 7 a.m. local time. Guerrero tried to flee, and an officer fired out of concern for public safety.

Lawmakers quickly disputed that Guerrero was the intended target of the warrant or operation. Sen. Angus King was told by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that the person killed was not the target, after initially being told otherwise. King also said the agents involved were not wearing body cameras and called for an unvarnished, transparent investigation. Rep. Chellie Pingree pressed DHS for more information.

The Colombian Embassy regretted Guerrero’s death, was providing consular assistance to his family and had asked DHS for clarification about the circumstances. In Biddeford, people gathered at Mechanics Park for a vigil, while additional rallies were held in Portland.

The case landed amid a wider immigration crackdown in Maine. DHS launched an expanded enforcement operation in January under the name Operation Catch of the Day, and CBS News put the number at more than 200 people in the country illegally before the surge ended. The state has become a focus for federal immigration officials even as local backlash has mounted over the scale and pace of the operations.

Guerrero’s killing came a week after ICE officers in Houston fatally shot a person during a traffic stop.