ICE agent fatally shoots 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, the second deadly federal immigration shooting in a week

What happened in Biddeford

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer fatally shot a man in the small city of Biddeford, Maine, on the morning of Monday, July 13, 2026. The office of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the officer was conducting an operation related to a final order of removal when the individual attempted to flee in a vehicle. The AG's office stated the man drove toward the officer, who then fired, inflicting fatal injuries. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, per standard protocol following a law-enforcement shooting.

The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident. Maine State Police and the Department of Public Safety are also on the scene to gather details. Governor Janet Mills confirmed that state police are working with federal authorities to determine the circumstances. Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain said residents deserve clear answers about what occurred.

The victim and the official account

Authorities had not released the victim's name by Monday evening, pending positive identification and family notification. Two Maine-based advocacy groups, the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente Maine, jointly identified the deceased as a 26-year-old Colombian man. The groups stated that he was authorized to work in the United States and held a Social Security number.

According to the attorney general's office, the ICE officer was pursuing the man under a final deportation order when the man tried to flee in his vehicle in the direction of the officer, who then opened fire. Senator Angus King of Maine told reporters that he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who said the victim had a warrant related to his immigration status and that the man used his vehicle as a weapon against pursuing officers. King also said Secretary Mullin informed him that the agents involved were not wearing body cameras. A Department of Homeland Security official separately stated the officer fired after the person tried to run them over, but the agency did not immediately release additional evidence supporting that account.

We will not let this death be reduced to a footnote in this administration's enforcement statistics.

Witness accounts

A witness named Lucas Scott told local media he heard at least four gunshots after seeing multiple ICE agents surround a white sedan on Monday morning. Residents in the area also reported to the Portland Press Herald that they saw officers attempting to stop a car, and that the driver exited the vehicle bleeding from the head.

Media images from the scene showed a security perimeter established in a residential street, with a forensic vehicle parked next to a red tent.

Protest and political reaction

A growing group of protesters gathered at Mechanics Park, near the scene of the shooting, carrying signs that read "ICE out!" before moving on to rally outside the local office of Republican Senator Susan Collins, chanting "vote her out!" Collins is seeking a sixth term in the November 2026 midterm elections. She had previously taken credit for bringing an end to an ICE enforcement surge in Maine in January.

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat whose district includes Biddeford, wrote on Facebook that ICE was involved and that a person had been killed. He said the community is shaken and deserves answers about why lethal force was used and why an operation was taking place on Biddeford's streets.

Senator Angus King called for a full, transparent, and open investigation. The attorney general's office urged any protests to remain peaceful.

We deserve answers about why lethal force was used and why an operation was being carried out in our streets.

A pattern of fatal shootings

Monday's killing comes less than a week after another ICE officer fatally shot Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, in Houston, Texas, on July 7. In that case, federal agents in unmarked vehicles pursued Araujo as he was taking his work crew to a job site. The Department of Homeland Security also claimed in that incident that the victim attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon. Protests erupted in Houston following that shooting, and the latest death now fuels renewed criticism of the Trump administration's mass deportation enforcement tactics.

Earlier in 2026, ICE had a significant presence in Maine during an enforcement surge named "Catch of the Day." Officials said at the time that they had made hundreds of arrests, although court records indicated that while some detainees had felony convictions, others were held with unresolved immigration proceedings or had never been convicted of a crime.