A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a driver during an immigration enforcement operation in the coastal town of Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, prompting a federal investigation and protests over the agency's use of force.
The shooting occurred around 7 a.m. local time, less than a week after another fatal ICE shooting during an immigration operation in Houston, Texas.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE officers were conducting targeted surveillance at the last known address of a person with a final order of removal when an individual left the residence in a vehicle.
The department said officers pursued the vehicle and an ICE agent opened fire after the driver allegedly attempted to flee, with the officer "fearing for public safety."
DHS did not provide further details explaining how the driver posed an immediate threat.
Immigration advocacy groups identified the deceased as a 26-year-old Colombian man who they said was legally authorised to work in the United States and possessed a Social Security number. Authorities have not officially confirmed his identity.
Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have launched an investigation into the incident.
Witness account differs
An eyewitness, Daniel Boucher, told Reuters he saw a white SUV ram the victim's smaller white vehicle before an ICE officer pulled the injured driver from the car.
Boucher said he heard the wounded man say, "But I tried to stop," before he appeared to lose consciousness.
Reuters also verified video showing a white car moving slowly while officers on foot attempted to stop it, although it was not immediately clear whether the footage was recorded before or after the shooting.
Photographs from the scene showed what appeared to be multiple bullet holes in the driver's side of the windshield.
Conflicting accounts emerge
Maine Senator Angus King said he was initially informed that the driver had allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon against officers. However, he later said updated information indicated the victim was not the individual named in the immigration warrant authorities had been monitoring.
King said the investigation should determine whether the circumstances justified the use of deadly force.
Protests follow shooting
The incident sparked demonstrations in Biddeford, where hundreds of protesters marched through the town demanding greater accountability from ICE.
Some demonstrators gathered outside the office of Republican Senator Susan Collins, while others held a candlelight vigil in support of migrants.
The Maine shooting marks at least the seventh fatal shooting involving ICE operations since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to office and expanded immigration enforcement nationwide.
The latest incident comes amid a sharp increase in ICE arrests across the United States, including a significant rise in enforcement actions in Maine in recent weeks.
Federal authorities have not announced whether any officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.
