A person was killed during an encounter with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Biddeford, Maine, according to state officials. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau confirmed the incident on Facebook, stating that a shooting occurred in the city and that ICE agents were involved. Local police in Biddeford have declined to comment on the matter, directing all inquiries to the federal agency, which has not yet provided a formal response.
Senator Angus King of Maine reported that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that the agents opened fire after the individual attempted to use their vehicle as a weapon against them during a pursuit for deportation. King further noted that the agents involved in the incident were not equipped with body-worn cameras. An eyewitness, Lucas Scott, told local media outlets that he heard four gunshots after multiple ICE agents surrounded a white vehicle.
Advocacy organizations, including the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente!, identified the deceased as a 26-year-old man from Colombia. According to these groups, the man was authorized to work in the United States and possessed a valid Social Security number. The immigrant rights group Project Relief also confirmed the death of one of its community members, stating they are currently in contact with the family and calling for justice and support for those affected by the loss.
Maine Governor Janet Mills stated that she has been briefed on the fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement and that state authorities are actively working with their federal counterparts to determine the sequence of events. This incident occurs during a period of intensified immigration enforcement efforts by the Trump administration. Internal ICE data recently shared with Reuters indicates that ICE arrests in Maine have more than quadrupled since the beginning of June, reaching approximately 70 per day by early July.
The shooting in Biddeford follows another incident in Texas just days prior, where ICE agents fired at a man during a traffic stop. Officials later clarified that the individual shot in Texas was not the intended target. If it is confirmed that an ICE officer delivered the fatal shot in the Maine incident, it would represent at least the ninth death linked to encounters with federal immigration officials since the start of the current administration’s immigration crackdown, a list that includes the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.
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