A Democratic congresswoman has stated that the individual who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Maine last month was not the intended target of the operation and was not subject to a final removal order. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, was killed by an ICE agent on July 13 near his home in Biddeford.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, a congresswoman from Maine, said during a hearing on Monday that ICE's intended target was Durán Guerrero's roommate, who owned the vehicle Durán Guerrero was driving. Pingree described this information as a "shocking revelation in clear contradiction to what ICE" and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have stated.
Pingree added that it had previously been established that Durán Guerrero was not the intended target and did not have a final order of removal, but rather a pending asylum case and a valid work permit. "Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero should be alive today," Pingree said. "More than a month later, there are still so many basic questions that remain unanswered by ICE and the Trump administration."
The Department of Homeland Security, however, stated late Monday that it stands by its previous assessment of the shooting. An ICE spokesperson said the agency was conducting "targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal," and declined to disclose "law enforcement sensitive intelligence and methods."
The shooting is currently under investigation by the Office of the Maine Attorney General. Pingree and other Democratic House members spoke at a hearing in Biddeford on Monday to discuss ICE's use of deadly force in the state. At the time of the shooting, DHS stated that Durán Guerrero attempted to flee the scene and the ICE officer discharged his weapon out of fear for public safety.
Following the incident, ICE had reportedly suspended most vehicle stops, a policy change to which President Donald Trump swiftly expressed opposition. Pingree and other lawmakers had also sought answers from DHS regarding agent training and vetting, after it was disclosed that the ICE officer involved in the shooting had a history of violent behavior and mental health issues.