ICE Killed a Maine Man Who Was Not the Target
An ICE agent shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero on July 13, 2026, as the 25-year-old Colombian father left his home in Biddeford, Maine. Federal officials acknowledged he was not the intended target of the operation. No charges had been filed against him.
Two weeks later, roughly 80 Maine Democratic legislators sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding full cooperation with the state investigation being conducted by Maine’s Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Safety.
“There is no doubt that full reform of ICE is critical to restoring public trust in the work of your department.”
Letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, signed by ~80 Maine legislators, including House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and Senate President Mattie Daughtry, July 29, 2026
Federal Cooperation Remains Unconfirmed
Whether the federal government is actually cooperating with Maine’s investigation is an open question. The Maine Attorney General’s Office has not confirmed federal compliance despite repeated press inquiries. Governor Janet Mills said only that she “believes” federal authorities are cooperating, declining to provide specifics.
Maine Morning Star’s records requests for 911 call logs, agency communications, the coroner’s report, and the incident report have all been denied. Sen. Susan Collins said Secretary Mullin told her the FBI’s Boston satellite office was investigating, but federal agents were reportedly told the FBI would not lead the probe.
A near-identical situation unfolded in Minnesota after federal agents shot and killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti there. State officials did not receive information from federal authorities until roughly six months after the shooting, and only after filing a lawsuit.
Maine’s New ICE Restriction Laws Took Effect Today
Maine’s “ICE Out laws” took effect July 29, 2026, less than three weeks after Guerrero’s death. The laws limit cooperation between state and local police and federal immigration agents. They also bar landlords, hospitals, and schools from sharing personal information with ICE.
253 school districts, 107 police departments, and 17 housing authorities in Maine are now governed by the new restrictions, according to Zach Heiden of the ACLU of Maine.
A dozen other states have passed similar laws since the start of Trump’s second term. A 2020 Stanford study found that earlier sanctuary-state policies did reduce deportations without increasing crime.
What You Can Do Now
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Call Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s office at (207) 287-1300 and urge him to hold public hearings on DHS’s cooperation with the AG investigation. Ask his office to demand a compliance deadline in writing from Secretary Mullin.
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Contact Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey directly at (207) 626-8800. Ask his office to publicly confirm whether DHS is cooperating with the Guerrero investigation and whether Maine will pursue a lawsuit if records are withheld, as Minnesota was forced to do.
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Contact your U.S. senators at (202) 224-3121. Ask them to co-sign a request to the DHS Inspector General demanding a public timeline and interim findings. The bipartisan congressional letter sent one day after the shooting needs follow-through.
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Request a copy of Maine’s ICE Out laws from the Maine Legislature at legislature.maine.gov. Share them with your local school board, police chief, or hospital administrator to ensure compliance, since 253 school districts must now update their data-sharing policies.
Sources
- University of Maryland ‘teacher of the year’ detained by ICE in Texas — The Guardian (2026-08-04)
Maine Morning Star: Maine Legislators Ask DHS Chief to Comply With ICE Killing Investigation Mother Jones: ICE Out Laws Take Effect in Maine After Biddeford Shooting Maine Morning Star: Biddeford Leaders Call for Justice After ICE Shooting