BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — ICE was involved in the fatal shooting of someone in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, though details of what transpired remain scarce, the speaker of the Maine House said in a social media post.
House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, wrote on Facebook that the shooting occurred Monday morning in Biddeford, a city of about 23,000 people roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Portland.
“This morning a shooting occurred in Biddeford.
A person was killed. ICE was involved,” Fecteau wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “State Police and the Department of Public Safety are now on scene to gather details and would expect the FBI to investigate as well.”
Fecteau said those were the only details he knew and that he would provide updates later Monday.
ICE, the FBI and the Maine Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, of Maine, said in a video posted on social media that she was driving to Portland to catch a flight to Washington when she learned of the reported shooting. She said she was seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether officers were wearing body cameras, adding, “More than anything else, I want to know, ‘Why are you in Maine?’”
ICE had a significant presence in Maine earlier this year, which resulted in several large demonstrations against the agency.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, named the operation “Catch of the Day,” an apparent play on Maine’s seafood industry, just as it has done for other enforcement surges, like “Patriot” in Massachusetts, “Metro Surge” in Minnesota and “Midway Blitz” in Chicago.
Immigration officials said in late January that they had ceased “enhanced operations” in Maine after making hundreds of arrests. A Homeland Security spokesperson said at the time that some Maine arrests were of people “convicted of horrific crimes including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.” But court records painted a slightly different story: While some had felony convictions, others were detainees with unresolved immigration proceedings or who were arrested but never convicted of a crime.
The Trump administration's immigration crackdowns received widespread condemnation last winter after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota. Last week, an ICE officer fatally shot Salgado Araujo, 52, of Houston, after he was pursued by federal agents driving unmarked vehicles while he was taking his crew to their latest job site.
