A 26-year-old Colombian man with authorization to work in the United States was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, intensifying criticism of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement.
Human rights groups identified the victim as a Colombian national who was legally permitted to work in the US. Colombia's embassy confirmed it is in contact with American authorities and providing consular assistance to the family.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were conducting surveillance at an address linked to an individual who had received a final deportation order. When agents attempted to stop a vehicle leaving the address, the driver allegedly tried to flee. DHS stated that "fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon."
Maine Senator Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that the officer fired after the driver allegedly attempted to use the vehicle as a weapon against the agents. King also noted that the agents were not wearing body cameras and that they were targeting a different person than the one killed.
Maine's attorney general, conducting a separate investigation, said preliminary evidence indicates the driver was attempting to flee toward the agent when the shooting occurred. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave. The DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI are also investigating.
The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and advocacy group Presente! stated that the deceased had work authorization in the US.
This incident is at least the ninth death linked to federal immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump intensified his crackdown. Other fatal cases include the shootings of US citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota, and the killing of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7.
The growing death toll has sparked demonstrations in Biddeford and across the country, with protesters calling for ICE to be abolished. Critics condemn the use of masked agents, unmarked vehicles, and aggressive tactics, arguing they spread fear in immigrant communities.
ICE arrests have surged, with about 10,000 people detained during a five-day period in late June, and the number held in detention facilities reaching roughly 39,000.