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A person was killed Monday in Biddeford, Maine, during an incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), marking the second fatal shooting connected to ICE in less than a week. According to Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, state police and the Department of Public Safety are investigating, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is expected to join the probe. Fecteau announced on Facebook, "A person was killed. ICE was involved. State Police and the Department of Public Safety are now on scene to gather details and would expect the FBI to investigate as well. These are the details that I have at this time. I will provide further updates, as they are relayed to me."
This incident comes just days after a separate fatal shooting in Houston, Texas, where an ICE officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant, during a traffic stop. The Houston case triggered protests and renewed calls for transparency and accountability in federal immigration enforcement. Federal officers said Salgado Araujo attempted to drive into an ICE vehicle and ignored commands, prompting an officer to fire in self-defense. However, advocacy groups and Salgado Araujo’s family have questioned ICE’s account, noting a lack of body camera footage and demanding an independent investigation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that its Office of Inspector General is investigating the Houston shooting.
Advocacy organizations and Texas lawmakers are pressing for all evidence to be preserved and for federal oversight of such incidents. Local officials in Houston have stated that city police were not involved in the shooting and that the investigation remains at the federal level.
The recent deaths have intensified scrutiny of ICE operations nationwide. Criticism over immigration enforcement tactics has grown during President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly following other fatal encounters with federal officers earlier this year.
As investigations into both shootings continue, community members and officials are calling for greater transparency, use of body cameras, and clear identification for officers involved in future immigration enforcement actions.