Sen. Angus King’s office said the man fatally shot by an ICE agent in Biddeford was not the intended target of the arrest warrant, a correction to an earlier account provided by the Department of Homeland Security. King said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin first told him the deceased was the warrant target and then called back to correct that detail, a discrepancy that has intensified calls for a full federal review.
The account of the ICE shooting in Biddeford has prompted local protests and multiple federal and state agencies to converge on the case as officials work to clarify the sequence of events. Lawmakers and community leaders are pressing for transparency while investigators collect evidence.
ICE shooting in Biddeford
King told reporters that when he first spoke with Secretary Mullin, Mullin said the person shot was the target of an immigration enforcement operation. “He called me back … he had learned subsequently that he was not the target of the warrant,” King said. King said the man had a final order of removal, a detail reported by ICE; that specific claim has not been independently confirmed by public records released so far.
Timeline and initial descriptions
According to an ICE statement, agents were conducting what it described as “targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal.” ICE said the person left the residence by vehicle and agents attempted a vehicle stop.
ICE said the vehicle attempted to flee and that an officer discharged a weapon; the driver was struck and died. The Biddeford Police Department and the FBI responded to the scene, and, according to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) was notified.
Conflicting official accounts and corrections
The evolving details in the immediate aftermath include a change in the federal account of whether the deceased was the warrant target. King described his exchange with Mullin to reporters and stated that Mullin later corrected his initial description.
Those changes have led some lawmakers, including Sen. King, to urge a transparent, independent investigation. King has called for an FBI-led inquiry, saying investigators should provide a “full, fair and transparent” accounting of the incident.
Scene, response and evidence
Local authorities say the incident occurred near Pool and Hill streets in Biddeford. The Biddeford Police Department reported responding to calls involving ICE personnel; the FBI also arrived to take the lead on the federal criminal probe, officials said.
King and others raised questions about body-worn cameras. King said he was told body cameras were not on the agents; that assertion is reported by King and has not been independently verified. ICE has acknowledged notification to DHS OIG and said all firearm discharges by its officers are subject to investigation.
ICE described aspects of the stop, including that the vehicle moved in a manner ICE characterized as a threat. Those characterizations are ICE’s official account; independent investigators will need to verify whether the vehicle posed an imminent threat and whether the use of lethal force met legal and departmental standards.
Community reaction and advocacy statements
Local advocates and national groups responded quickly. The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian man and urged answers and accountability; those identifications and demands are reported by the groups and are not independently confirmed here.
Protests followed in the days after the shooting, including demonstrations outside Sen. Susan Collins’ office. Community members called for release of any available evidence and for civil and criminal accountability if misconduct is found. Gov. Janet Mills said state police are cooperating with local and federal authorities.
What investigators will focus on
Investigators will aim to establish a precise timeline of the events leading up to the shooting, confirm who was the subject of the operation, and determine whether the agent’s use of deadly force was justified under federal and state law. The FBI is leading the criminal investigation, according to officials; DHS OIG will review agency conduct and notification procedures.
Key questions for investigators include: who the operation was intended to arrest; whether officers identified themselves; whether the vehicle’s movement objectively created an imminent threat; what communications occurred between agencies; and what physical evidence (including any body-worn camera or surveillance video) exists. Where agency claims differ, investigators will attempt to reconcile those accounts through witness interviews, forensic evidence and records.
Background
Use-of-force incidents involving federal immigration agents are relatively uncommon but have prompted intense scrutiny when they occur. Federal policy requires notification of internal oversight offices and usually prompts a dual review: a criminal probe (often led by the FBI) and an administrative review by the agent’s parent agency and DHS OIG.
What comes next
The FBI investigation could take weeks to months as agents collect evidence, interview witnesses and review forensic materials. DHS OIG may open a parallel review of policy compliance and notification. Lawmakers have asked for a public accounting of the evidence as it becomes available, and local leaders have pressed for timely disclosure of body-worn camera footage or other recordings if they exist.
Officials and advocacy groups emphasized that certain details remain unverified. Where possible, this report attributes claims to the reporting source: ICE statements, Sen. King’s office, the Biddeford Police Department, and advocacy organizations have been cited as the origin of specific facts and quotes.
Source attribution
Official sources and statements cited in this report include: ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) statements; the Biddeford Police Department; the FBI (which is leading the criminal investigation); the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG); and statements from Sen. Angus King’s office and Maine state officials. Advocacy and community statements referenced include the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine. Specific factual claims are attributed in the text to the reporting party where those claims have not been independently corroborated.
Original reporting referenced: Fox News reporting on the exchange between Sen. King and DHS Secretary Mullin: Maine ICE shooting victim was not target of arrest warrant, Sen. King’s office says.
