Many questions remain after an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Maine driver

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/many-questions-remain-after-an-ice-officers-fatal-shooting-of-a-maine-driver Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Many questions remain after an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Maine driver Politics Jul 14, 2026 11:35 AM EDT BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — Immigrant rights groups are demanding answers and planning more protests Tuesday over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's fatal shooting of a Maine driver. The shooting Monday during an immigration enforcement operation in the city of Biddeford marked the second time in a week that ICE used deadly force and at least the ninth death since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown. READ MORE: DHS says ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was 'fearing for public safety' The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer "fearing for public safety" shot and killed the driver while agents were watching the home of someone they believed was in the country illegally and had a final order of removal from the country. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The department said in a post on X that when ICE tried to stop the vehicle driven by someone coming from the home, the vehicle attempted to flee and the officer fired his weapon. That statement came hours after Maine Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him that the officer opened fire after the man tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against ICE agents. READ MORE: ICE shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine. This is the 2nd time in a week the agency used deadly force King said Mullin also told him the officers were trying to serve an arrest warrant, but not for the person who was shot. The officers involved didn't have body cameras, leaving many questions surrounding the circumstances of the shooting in the coastal community south of Portland, Maine's biggest city. It's not clear yet how close the officer was to the vehicle when the officer opened fire, whether officers told the driver to stop or how the public may have been in danger. DHS did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on what led to the shooting. The Maine attorney general's office, which is also investigating, said initial statements suggest the motorist was trying to flee in the direction of the agent. The office said the officer who killed him has been placed on leave. Immigrant rights groups identified the man who was killed as a 26-year-old native of Colombia. The Colombian Embassy said it was in contact with U.S. authorities about the man's death and providing assistance to his family. Maine's oth