ICE-involved shooting in Biddeford leaves young man dead

BIDDEFORD, Maine (WGME) -- A young man is dead following a shooting involving ICE in Biddeford.

The incident happened on Monday around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Pool and Hill streets.

The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente say the victim was a 26-year-old Colombian man.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen told Maine Senator Angus King that the man had been been given an order to leave the country. He was reportedly in a vehicle, pulled out in the vehicle, and the term the secretary used was “weaponized” the vehicle and was shot by an ICE agent.

“What I said to the Secretary was, we want a full, transparent and open investigation of this matter,” Sen. King said.

Sen. King says apparently there is no body camera footage of the encounter.

“Body cameras were not on the agents. So we have no video evidence of what occurred in this case,” Sen. King said. "We don't know the circumstances at this point, but my statement to Secretary Mullen, I said, 'I'm going to say that you have committed to me that this investigation will be full, fair and transparent. Can I say that? He said, 'Yes, absolutely.'"

According to Presente, the young man was authorized to work in the United States and had been issued a Social Security number.

"He was a member of our community, a neighbor, and a human being whose life was cut tragically short. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and everyone now grieving this unimaginable loss," the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente said in joint statement. "A 26-year-old man came to Maine to live and work, and now his family is mourning his death following an incident involving ICE. This is devastating, enraging, and unacceptable. His loved ones deserve answers, and the public deserves a full and transparent account of what happened."

Maine State Police the FBI are on the scene investigating. The Biddeford Police Department’s only involvement is providing scene security.

A person is dead following shooting involving ICE in Biddeford. (WGME)

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who is from Biddeford, issued a statement, saying in part:

"A person was killed. ICE was involved... Our community is shaken by this incident. We are heartbroken that someone lost their life. We deserve answers about why lethal force was used and why an operation was being carried out in our streets. I also know that our immigrant neighbors are particularly impacted by this violence. I want them to know that their elected leaders, their neighbors, and their state is here for them. These are details that I have at this time. I will provide further updates, as they are relayed to me.”

The Maine Attorney General's Office said, "Information that can be shared will be when timing is appropriate."

The shooting is already sparking outrage in Biddeford and throughout the state.

Olivia Clay lives a block from where the deadly shooting took place. “I’m disgusted. This is horrible. I mean, the citizens of this country are literally being gunned down in the street for doing nothing. For the color of their skin," she said.

“It is horrific. ICE needs to be disbanded. People who work for ICE are untrained. And we want them out of Biddeford. Killing people in cold blood. They need to be out of Maine. They need to be out of the United States," Marcia Hanes added.

“Our community is taking immediate action to protect and care for this family that has been shattered by state violence, said Presente Executive Director Crystal Cron. “To say we are heartbroken does not convey the depth of the exhaustion, terror, or grief we are feeling. We will not let this death be reduced to a footnote in this administration’s enforcement statistics. There is no freedom until everyone is free.

An emergency rally is underway following the apparent deadly ICE-involved shooting in Biddeford. (WGME)WGME

“Our communities are hurting” said MIRC Executive Director Mufalo Chitam. “Today, a 26-year-old member of our community is dead following an incident involving ICE. We are grieving, we are furious, and we will not allow his death to be treated as routine or inevitable. How much more harm must our communities endure before those with the power to act acknowledge that this has gone too far?”

According to the Associated Press, this incident will be at least the ninth death from an encounter with federal immigration officials since the start of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and the second in a week, following the killing of a Houston man.

The reported shooting comes amid a newly intensified push by the Trump administration to carry out its mass deportations agenda. During the five-day period at the end of June, the AP reports ICE arrested more than 10,000 people.

ICE maintained a heightened presence in Maine in January. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, dubbed the enforcement effort "Catch of the Day"—an apparent reference to Maine's seafood industry.

By the end of January, immigration officials announced they had ended their "enhanced operations" in Maine after making hundreds of arrests. At the time, a Homeland Security spokesperson said some of those arrested had been convicted of serious crimes, including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child. However, court records showed a broader range of cases. While some detainees had felony convictions, others were still involved in unresolved immigration proceedings or had been arrested without ever being convicted of a crime.

The Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts have drawn criticism in recent months. Public scrutiny intensified following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota last winter. More recently, last week, ICE officers fatally shot 52-year-old Salgado Araujo of Houston after federal agents in unmarked vehicles pursued him while he was driving his work crew to a job site.