DHS says ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was 'fearing for public safety'

By — Patrick Whittle, Associated Press Patrick Whittle, Associated Press By — Leah Willingham, Associated Press Leah Willingham, Associated Press By — Jack Brook, Associated Press Jack Brook, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/dhs-says-ice-officer-who-fatally-shot-driver-in-maine-was-fearing-for-public-safety Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter DHS says ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was 'fearing for public safety' Politics Jul 14, 2026 10:31 AM EDT BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a motorist in Maine on Monday, the second time in a week that ICE has used deadly force and at least the ninth death since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown. Immigrant rights groups identified the man who was killed in Biddeford as a 26-year-old native of Colombia. The Colombian Embassy said it was in contact with U.S. authorities about the Colombian national's death and "is providing the necessary consular assistance to his family." READ MORE: ICE shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine. This is the 2nd time in a week the agency used deadly force The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said in a post on X that agents were surveilling an address for a person with a final order of removal from the country. When ICE tried to stop a vehicle driven by someone coming from that address, the "vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon," the department said. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Prior to the brief ICE statement on the incident, Maine U.S. Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the officer opened fire after the man tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against ICE agents in Biddeford, a coastal city roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Portland. The agents involved didn't have body cameras, he said. When asked about the contrasting statements, King told CNN that that's what the investigation is all about. "Did this young man actually try to run over an ICE agent or was he in danger of running over other people in the street?" he said. "Was there a reasonable expectation of bodily harm or deadly force to justify this shooting?" DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on what led to the shooting. King, an independent, said Mullin also told him the officers were in Biddeford to serve an arrest warrant but that it was not for the person who was shot. King said Mullin told him that earlier information that the man was the target of an enforcement action was incorrect. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said Mullin told her the Homeland Security Department's Office of Inspector General is investigating in cooperation with the FBI. Messages seeking comment