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ICE Maine shooting: What's happening in Biddeford? One killed, protest erupts as probe underway
A person was killed in an ICE-related shooting in Biddeford, Maine. Authorities are investigating as protests begin and questions grow over the deadly incident.
A person was killed during an incident involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday morning. The shooting happened in Biddeford, a city with about 23,000 people, around 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Portland.
The first public confirmation came from Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who shared the information in a Facebook post. Fecteau said, "A person was killed. ICE was involved." Fecteau also said that the Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Public Safety reached the scene to collect information. He added that he expected the FBI to investigate the shooting as well.
ICE Maine shooting investigation begins
Fecteau said these were the only details available to him at the time and that he would share more updates later. As of Monday, ICE, the FBI, and the Maine Department of Public Safety had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Project Relief, an immigrant rights advocacy group, said that one of its community members died during an encounter with ICE in Biddeford. The group said it had been in contact with the person's family. Project Relief described the person as young, but did not reveal the person's age, name, or other identifying details.
The group said, "This was a young person whose life was cut short," and called for justice and support for the victim's family and community, according to AP News. A local organization called Biddeford Saco for Racial Justice announced a protest against ICE at Mechanics Park in Biddeford at noon on Monday.
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Maine protests after fatal shooting
Local news reports said that protesters had already started gathering before the planned demonstration. Officials have not yet released details about exactly what happened before the shooting. Authorities have also not confirmed what led to the deadly encounter.
There has been no official information about whether the person was armed or whether any officers were injured. If it is confirmed that an ICE officer fatally shot the person, it would be at least the ninth death linked to encounters with federal immigration officials since the Trump administration's immigration crackdown began, according to the Associated Press.
It would also be the second fatal shooting involving immigration officers in about a week. The latest incident comes as the Trump administration has increased immigration enforcement and deportation efforts across the United States.
During a five-day period at the end of June, ICE arrested more than 10,000 people. The figures suggest that although ICE is no longer focusing on individual cities, immigration arrests are continuing and increasing. ICE had a major enforcement operation in Maine earlier this year, leading to large public demonstrations against the agency.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) named that operation "Catch of the Day," referring to Maine's seafood industry. DHS has used similar names for immigration operations in other states, including "Patriot" in Massachusetts, "Metro Surge" in Minnesota, and "Midway Blitz" in Chicago.
The investigation into the Biddeford shooting is ongoing, and authorities have not yet released further official details about the incident.
