A Colombian national was shot and killed by an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Maine after officers said a vehicle attempted to flee. The fatal shooting has sparked protests, political backlash and multiple investigations, with officials later confirming the man killed was not the original target of the operation.
A Colombian national has been shot dead by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during an immigration enforcement operation in the state of Maine, raising fresh questions about the agency’s use of deadly force.
The shooting happened early Monday morning in Biddeford, about 18 miles (30km) south of Portland, and comes just a week after another migrant was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Texas.
According to ICE, officers were conducting surveillance outside a residence at about 7:00 a.m. local time while looking for a person who had a final order of removal.
The agency said officers attempted to stop a vehicle leaving the address, but the driver allegedly tried to escape.
“The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” ICE said in a statement, adding that the driver was struck.
Authorities have not released further details explaining why officers believed deadly force was necessary.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey confirmed the officer involved belongs to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations unit and has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
“Initial statements indicate the subject attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer and was fatally shot,” Frey said.
Officials said the man’s identity is being withheld until formal identification is completed and his family has been notified.
The investigation has now been handed over to the Office of Inspector General within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
As investigators began their work, conflicting accounts emerged over whether the victim was even the intended target of the immigration operation.
Republican Senator Susan Collins said federal investigators would carry out a full review of the incident.
Independent Senator Angus King revealed he was initially informed by Homeland Security officials that the man who died was the subject of an arrest warrant.
Hours later, however, King said DHS leadership called back to clarify that the Colombian national was not the person officers had originally been looking for.
That revelation drew a sharp response from Maine Governor Janet Mills.
“The death of a man the government was not even looking for makes this tragedy even more disturbing and infuriating,” she wrote on X.
“It underscores the reckless and haphazard manner in which immigration enforcement operations are being conducted in Maine and across the country.”
Colombia’s embassy in Washington confirmed the victim was a Colombian citizen and said it had requested detailed information from US authorities.
The embassy said it would continue monitoring the case as the investigation unfolds.
Meanwhile, the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian who had legal authorization to work in the United States.
Without naming him publicly, the organization described him as a valued member of the local community.
“He was a member of our community, a neighbor, and a human being whose life was cut tragically short.”
The shooting triggered protests across Biddeford, where dozens of demonstrators gathered demanding answers.
Others assembled outside Senator Collins’ office, criticizing her support for additional federal funding for ICE.
Witnesses described a chaotic and emotional scene.
One resident, Lucas Scott, said he saw officers wearing green ICE vests surrounding a white sedan before hearing multiple gunshots.
“At least two officers wearing green ICE vests,” he said before recalling hearing at least four shots.
Another witness, Mary Hayes, said the tragedy unfolded in front of the victim’s family.
“I watched a wife fall to her knees looking at her husband’s dead body on the ground.”
“I watched a little girl crying with a little pink backpack on because she’s never going to see her father again.”
According to Senator King, Homeland Security officials told him the driver had used the vehicle as a weapon by driving toward officers.
He also disclosed that the ICE officers involved were not wearing body cameras, making the investigation even more significant.
“That’s what this investigation is all about and I certainly intend to stay after it to do everything I can to be sure the investigation is as transparent and thorough as possible,” King said.
The fatal shooting has intensified scrutiny of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, which have faced growing criticism over recent enforcement operations.
Earlier this month, ICE agents fatally shot 52-year-old Mexican construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an operation in Houston.
Federal officials later acknowledged that he, too, was not the intended target, although they argued he had attempted to drive into an ICE officer.
Civil rights groups have since challenged the agency’s enforcement tactics, accusing federal authorities of carrying out increasingly aggressive immigration operations that place innocent people at risk.
As multiple investigations continue, community leaders and lawmakers are calling for transparency and accountability to determine whether the use of deadly force in Maine was justified.
