A Colombian man was allegedly killed by ICE agents in Maine on Monday.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents allegedly fired shots at a 26-year-old Colombian migrant in Maine, killing him. The man was authorized to work in the US and also had a Social Security Number. “He was a member of our community, a neighbor, and a human being whose life was cut tragically short. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and everyone now grieving this unimaginable loss,” two immigration organizations said in a statement.Daniel Boucher, who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting, told the Portland Press Herald that he was getting ready for work and after hearing what sounded like fireworks, he witnessed agents remove the driver of a sedan. “He was bleeding profusely from the head,” Boucher told the Press Herald. “He was talking. He said, ‘I tried to stop.’” “Nobody should have to see what I saw,” Boucher said. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) told the Associated Press that he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the shooting. Mullin reportedly told him that the victim “weaponized” his vehicle.Maine’s attorney general’s office said that according to initial statements, an officer with Enforcement Removal Operations, part of ICE, was carrying out a removal order “when the subject attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer and was fatally shot.” The attorney general’s office said it is investigating.The Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said it is working to help identify the victim and confirm nationality.Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that the FBI is investigating. “The shooting in Biddeford requires a full and impartial investigation of what happened,” she said in a statement.Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain said in a statement that he was “shaken” when he was told about the shooting death. He called for “a full, thorough and transparent investigation,” with full involvement and cooperation of state law enforcement. “A person has died and their loved ones and the people of our community deserve clear answers about what happened,” LaFountain stated.Last week, ICE agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who lived in Texas for three decades.
