A federal immigration officer fatally shot a motorist in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, marking the second deadly ICE-related shooting reported within a week.
The incident has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, immigrant rights groups and local residents, as state and federal agencies begin investigations into the use of deadly force.
Man Identified by Advocates as Colombian National
Immigrant rights groups identified the man who died as a 26-year-old native of Colombia.
The groups said he was authorized to work in the United States, though federal officials have not publicly confirmed his full immigration status.
The Colombian Embassy said it was communicating with U.S. authorities and working to formally verify the man’s identity and nationality.
DHS Says ICE Was Conducting Surveillance
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said ICE agents were watching an address connected to a person with a final removal order.
According to DHS, agents attempted to stop a vehicle driven by someone leaving that address. The department said the vehicle tried to flee and that an officer fired because of public safety concerns.
Senator Says Victim Was Not the Target
U.S. Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the officers were in Biddeford to serve an arrest warrant, but that the warrant was not for the man who was shot.
King said he was initially told different information but later received an update that the man killed was not the intended target of the enforcement action.
Vehicle Allegedly Used as a Weapon
King said Mullin told him the officer opened fire after the man allegedly tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against ICE agents.
The Maine attorney general’s office said early information suggested the motorist was trying to flee in the direction of an agent. The officer involved has been placed on leave while the case is investigated.
Multiple Investigations Underway
Sen. Susan Collins said Mullin told her the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is investigating with help from the FBI.
The Maine attorney general’s office is also reviewing the shooting.
Officials have not yet released a full timeline of the encounter or the evidence supporting the use of deadly force.
No Body Camera Footage
King said the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras.
He said one of the central questions is what the man did with his vehicle and whether the threat reached a level that justified deadly force.
Witness Describes Chaotic Scene
Witness Daniel Boucher said he heard several gunshots from his third-floor window and then saw a small car positioned awkwardly near the curb with an SUV behind it.
He said the wounded driver’s face and head were bloody and that he heard the man say, “I tried to stop.” Boucher also said an ICE officer later told him the man had tried to run him over.
Family Not Ready to Speak Publicly
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition said the man’s family contacted the group after the shooting.
Executive director Mufalo Chitam said the family was not ready to speak publicly.
Advocacy groups said the man lived locally with his wife and daughter and was the financial provider for his household.
Neighbours Recall Victim and Family
Residents near the shooting scene described the man as part of the local community.
One neighbour said she saw the man’s wife fall to her knees after seeing his body. Another local resident said the man regularly visited her laundromat with his daughter and described him as kind and helpful.
Protesters Gather in Biddeford
Within hours of the shooting, demonstrators gathered near the scene to protest ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.
Some protesters held signs condemning ICE’s presence in Maine, while police blocked access to the area where the shooting occurred.
Second Deadly ICE Shooting in a Week
The Maine shooting came less than a week after ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7.
In that case, federal agents were pursuing Salgado Araujo while he was driving a construction crew to a job site. ICE said he attempted to evade arrest and used his vehicle aggressively, but family members and advocates have demanded an independent investigation.
Scrutiny of Trump Immigration Enforcement Grows
The shootings come during a major immigration enforcement push under President Donald Trump.
AP reported that the Biddeford shooting was at least the ninth fatal use-of-force incident involving ICE since Trump resumed his aggressive immigration crackdown. The administration has also reported thousands of ICE arrests during recent enforcement operations.
Maine Arrest Data Raises Questions
ICE had an increased presence in Maine earlier this year, leading to protests and concern from local officials.
According to ICE arrest data analyzed by AP through the University of California, Berkeley Deportation Data Project, ICE arrested 546 people in Maine between the start of Trump’s second term and March 11, 2026.
About 45 per cent of those arrested had criminal backgrounds, compared with about 69 per cent during an equivalent period before Trump returned to office.
Lawmakers Demand Answers
Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat, questioned why ICE was carrying out operations in the state.
King also called for clarity on the facts of the shooting, especially because the man killed was reportedly not the target of the warrant and because there is no body-camera footage.
Local and federal officials are now under pressure to provide a transparent account of what happened.
The fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford has intensified concerns about immigration enforcement tactics, deadly force and transparency.
Federal officials say the officer fired because the motorist posed a public safety threat, while witnesses and advocates are raising questions about whether the shooting was justified.
With the FBI, DHS inspector general and Maine attorney general’s office now involved, the case is expected to remain under close public scrutiny as the victim’s family and community demand answers.