'Completely unacceptable.' Maine Senator demands ICE reforms after Biddeford shooting

U.S. Sen. Angus King is leading 38 Senate colleagues in demanding greater accountability and transparency from the Department of Homeland Security following deadly shootings involving immigration officers in Maine and Texas. In a letter sent Sunday to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the senators called for the expanded use of body-worn cameras, clearer identification of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, independent investigations of fatal encounters and a review of the agency's enforcement protocols and training. The letter follows the deaths of Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Biddeford and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. The senators said both men were shot by federal officers while inside vehicles and neither was the intended target of the immigration operation underway at the time. "The unnecessary loss of life in these incidents demands immediate, thorough, independent, and transparent investigations," the senators wrote. Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian man, was killed July 13 during an ICE operation near Pool and Hill streets in Biddeford. He left behind a wife and a 3-year-old child, according to his family. The Maine Attorney General's Office said initial accounts indicated an ICE officer was attempting to arrest someone with a final order of removal when a person tried to flee in a vehicle in the direction of an officer. DHS said the officer fired because he feared for public safety. The Maine Attorney General's Office and FBI are investigating the shooting. Last week, DHS reported that the officer was newly sworn in to work with ICE and had worked as a Department of Veterans Affairs law enforcement officer since 2017. According to Sen. King, no ICE officers involved in the Biddeford operation were wearing body cameras. DHS has also declined to publicly confirm the officer's identity, citing safety concerns for the officer and his family. In Maine, the names of state and local officers who use deadly force are generally released after relatives have been notified. The senators accused DHS of failing to honor earlier commitments to expand its body camera program. ICE has since said every arrest team will have at least one officer equipped with a camera and that cameras will be distributed to all field offices within 60 days. "Ensuring all of our ICE law enforcement officers have body cameras nationwide is a top priority for DHS -- especially given the increase in attacks against our law enforcement, including a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks," said a DHS spokesperson last Wednesday. "This is especially needed because the media and sanctuary politicians consistently spread smears about our law enforcement." Acting ICE Director David Venturella has also told members of Congress that all field agents will be outfitted by the end of July, according to the letter. "We view this timeline not as a projection, but as a firm, binding commitment, to which we will hold the Department accountable," the senators wrote. The lawmakers also want ICE personnel to stop wearing uniforms or tactical equipment marked only with the generic term "police." They said officers should wear uniforms clearly identifying them as ICE and identify themselves as ICE when making arrests. The letter asks DHS to explain how it will make sure the investigations into the Maine and Texas shootings remain independent, how new ICE officers are vetted and whether family court records involving domestic violence or abuse are considered during that process. The request comes after a woman who purports to be the ex-wife of the ICE officer in Biddeford told the Associated Press that he has a history of violence and mental health issues. "Dave needs counseling or something for his PTSD & depression," she wrote in an application for a temporary protective order on behalf of his teenage daughter which a judge granted in 2021. The senators also requested details about potential changes to ICE vehicle-pursuit and traffic-stop policies and any additional oversight measures being considered. Following the Biddeford shooting, ICE temporarily restricted most vehicle stops. Some stops could still be conducted when agents are accompanied by specially trained local law enforcement officers participating in a federal immigration enforcement program. King previously joined Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden in calling for a comprehensive and expedited investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General. Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain and Gov. Janet Mills have also pushed for an independent and transparent investigation. LaFountain has criticized the lack of body-camera footage, saying it has made determining what happened more difficult. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire are among those who signed King's latest letter. Collins was not listed among the signatories.