26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero killed in front of his three-year-old daughter as agency faces mounting scrutiny over use of deadly force.
A U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian man in front of his three-year-old daughter during an immigration enforcement operation in Maine, the latest in a series of deadly incidents linked to the agency’s intensified crackdown.
Joan Sebastian Guerrero, identified by advocates as a father authorised to work in the United States with a valid Social Security number, was killed on Monday morning in Biddeford. He was not the intended target of the operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Witnesses and neighbours reported seeing the young girl, wearing a pink backpack, crying at the scene. Guerrero lived nearby with his wife and daughter.
"He was trying to get away"
DHS stated that agents were conducting surveillance on the last known address of another individual with a final order of removal. When Guerrero attempted to drive away in his vehicle toward an agent, the officer fired, citing concerns for public safety. Maine’s Attorney General confirmed agents were attempting to stop the vehicle.
The shooting marks the second time in a week that ICE officers have used deadly force, part of a broader pattern since the start of heightened immigration enforcement operations.
Guerrero’s death has sparked protests in Biddeford and Portland, with demonstrators chanting against ICE and demanding accountability. Political figures, including Governor Tim Walz and Senator Bernie Sanders, have condemned the incident, linking it to aggressive federal immigration policies.
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Advocates from the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! described Guerrero as a member of the local community who was legally working in the US. Family and friends expressed shock, with one neighbour recounting the sight of the young girl distraught after losing her father.
The Colombian Embassy is involved in the investigation alongside Maine State Police and the FBI. The ICE agent involved has been placed on administrative leave.
This incident comes amid growing criticism of federal immigration tactics, with community leaders questioning the use of unmarked vehicles and the rapid escalation to lethal force in non-target encounters.
As investigations continue, Guerrero’s killing has reignited debates over the human cost of US immigration enforcement, particularly its impact on families and mixed-status households. Civil rights groups have called for a thorough, independent probe and greater transparency in how such operations are conducted.