ICE suspends most vehicle stops after Maine shooting death, sources say

BIDDEFORD, Maine (WABI/AP) - Trump administration officials told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings within a week in Texas and Maine, people familiar with the decision said Tuesday.

The policy change came a day after the Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer, “fearing for public safety,” shot and killed Johan Sebastian Guerrero, 25, in Biddeford, Maine while officers were watching the home of someone they believed was in the U.S. illegally and had a final order of removal from the country.

The office of Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, confirmed the person who was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent as Guerrero Tuesday morning.

Guerrero was originally from Colombia. Advocacy groups Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! say Guerrero had been authorized to work in the United States, and had a Social Security Number.

Maine delegation responds

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, released a statement Tuesday morning saying she had urged DHS to end all non-urgent vehicle stops.

“While the investigation of the Biddeford shooting is not yet complete, it raises sufficient critical questions that I spoke with DHS Secretary Mullin last night and urged him to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops,” Collins said.

Collins said she worked to secure $20 million for expanded use of body-worn cameras in the Homeland Security funding bill that became law in April. She said she was surprised to learn the agents involved in Biddeford were not wearing cameras.

“The shutdown which the Democrats led caused the delay in contracts being awarded, and thus it would probably take another 45 days before ice agents all over the country had these body-worn cameras that are so critical. I urged him to do everything in his power to expedite those cameras. I think they’re extremely important and I worked hard to get them into the bill. I negotiated it back in January. The bill was signed into law in April,” Collins said.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, also spoke following a conversation with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

“As with any deadly use of force by law enforcement, what we need now is thorough, independent investigation that establishes the facts necessary for accountability. Unfortunately, the ICE officers involved in this incident were not yet wearing body cameras, which could have helped to establish those necessary facts. I supported body camera adoption for ICE earlier this year and Congress approved funding for this technology in April to increase transparency and accountability, but deployment has been slow. DHS needs to make this a priority,” Golden said. “Mainers are understandably scared and shocked by this painful loss of life. My heart goes out to all those who are hurting, and I urge Mainers to take care of one another and stay safe.”

The Maine Congressional Delegation wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security calling for a transparent investigation:

“We are deeply saddened by this loss of life. The facts surrounding this tragedy remain a matter of significant local concern and necessitate thorough, objective accounting.

“Given the gravity of the situation and the understandable anxiety within the Biddeford community, we urge you to prioritize this investigation. Timely and factual answers will be critical to providing closure for the grieving community and ensuring that federal law enforcement operations are conducted safely, lawfully, and in a manner that respects public safety.”

ICE statement on the shooting

An ICE spokesperson providing the following statement on the incident, saying in part:

“ICE law enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and fearing for public safety... an officer discharged his weapon.

“The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.

“The Biddeford Police Department and FBI responded to the scene. DHS OIG has been notified and like all discharge of firearms... this will be investigated.

“This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.”

An ICE spokesperson said the agency is continually evaluating its procedures to protect officers and public safety, but the spokesperson declined to discuss specific enforcement tactics.

President of Colombia reacts to the shooting

Colombian President Gustavo Petro released a statement Tuesday afternoon on social media.

“What has happened in Maine is the murder of a Colombian, a Latin American, at the hands of the U.S. government. They killed him because they believed him to be an inferior being without rights, and as a person he had all the rights granted to a human being simply by being born—and he was a citizen with rights in the United States. I expect from the Colombian foreign service in the U.S. the fastest possible legal and humane action so that the killers pay for his homicide. I expect a message from President Donald Trump to Colombia about what happened. May Johan Sebastián Durán rest in peace, a victim of the state due to persecution and exclusion against a civilian population group for ethnic and cultural reasons—prohibited since the times of the Nuremberg Tribunal across the entire planet."

Local officials respond

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau spoke at a vigil in Biddeford.

“This is my message to the federal government. Get out of our state. Get out of our city. We welcome the other here. We welcome immigrants here. We are a welcoming state. We will not change. We will not change for Donald Trump or anyone else,” Fecteau said.

Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain, in an interview on CNN, said: “I want to thank all those as well. Angry, frustrated, uh, but peacefully protesting, using their First Amendment right in our country to protest and make their feelings, concerns, and desire for change known. We can’t have people killing people in our country like this, and what I’m calling for, as other main officials are, is a thorough, full, and transparent investigation so we can find out the facts of this case and provide accountability to our residents and families impacted.”

Maine Democrats respond

The Maine Democratic Party is also responding to the shooting.

Party Chair Charlie Dingman said in a video statement: “Federal agents have shot and killed a man in cold blood on S Street in Biddeford under circumstances that make probable cause or self defense impossible to imagine all while a young child watched the murder in real time. This is not law enforcement, this is government-sponsored terrorism.“

Dr. Nirav Shah, a candidate for U.S. Senate, held a conference Tuesday morning in Biddeford talking about the shooting.

Shah compared the ICE shooting that happened in Biddeford and the one that happened in Texas just days earlier.

“It’s the second time this week or in the past week that a federal ICE agent has stopped the wrong vehicle while executing an arrest warrant and fatally shot someone. Agents were not wearing body cameras in either shooting,” Shah said. “ICE had the resources to deploy agents into a neighborhood in Biddeford at 7 o’clock in the morning. They had the resources to fire 6 gunshots in a residential intersection. They had the resources to drag a dying young father out of his car, but they didn’t have the resources to hand those agents a camera.”

Maine GOP responds

The Maine GOP also put out a statement Tuesday afternoon saying in part:

“We all can agree that it is always a tragedy when a life is lost. The government and our law enforcement system are not perfect, just like people aren’t perfect, and we will always mourn the effects of this. We live in a broken world.

“Law enforcement around the nation continues to deserve our respect and support as they put their lives on the line every single day for Americans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of Joan Guerrero. We encourage all Mainers to avoid jumping to conclusions, and to remain civil and patient as this situation continues to develop.”

GoFundMe established for Guerrero’s family

A GoFundMe has been set up for Guerrero to help the family cover funeral costs, family legal expenses, and repatriation of his body to Colombia. The family says Guerrero worked tirelessly to provide for his family. At last check, $147,000 has been raised of the $220,000 goal.

The GoFundMe can be found here.