A coalition of 39 U.S. senators, including Maine Independent Angus King and 38 Democratic senators, is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security following two fatal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shootings, including the July 13 death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford.
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the senators called for immediate changes to ICE vehicle stop policies, additional officer training, and greater transparency following the fatal shootings in Maine and Texas.
The letter comes just days after White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced ICE will require agents conducting vehicle stops to wear body cameras, a policy change that followed the two deadly encounters.
Notably absent from the letter was U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has instead pursued a separate bipartisan effort focused on ensuring a full federal investigation into the Biddeford shooting.
Senators Call Shootings “Egregious”
In their letter, the senators emphasized that they support removing dangerous criminals from the country but argued the recent incidents demonstrate the need for changes in how ICE conducts vehicle enforcement operations.
“We remain supportive of removing dangerous convicted criminals from our communities, but this goal can and must be achieved without endangering these very communities in the process,” the senators wrote.
The lawmakers continued by stating:
“By no stretch could either of the victims in Texas and Maine be characterized as ‘the worst of the worst,’ making these tragic deaths even more egregious.”
The senators requested detailed information from DHS on:
- Changes being made to ICE vehicle stop procedures.
- Additional training being provided to ICE agents.
- Whether new oversight measures beyond body-worn cameras will be implemented.
- The department’s review of the two fatal shootings.
Biddeford Shooting Draws National Scrutiny
The Maine shooting has become one of the most closely watched immigration enforcement incidents in the country.
Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, was fatally shot during an ICE surveillance operation in Biddeford. The Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged that Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation.
Federal officials have said agents were conducting surveillance on another individual when Guerrero allegedly attempted to drive away, prompting an ICE agent to fire.
The shooting remains under investigation by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and Maine authorities.
The incident has sparked protests across Maine, drawn national media attention, and prompted multiple congressional inquiries into ICE enforcement practices.
No Republicans Signed the Letter
None of the Senate’s Republican members signed the letter.
It is not publicly known whether Republican offices were invited to participate. However, the letter appears to have been circulated primarily among members of the Senate Democratic caucus, along with King, who caucuses with Democrats.
The document also goes beyond requesting an investigation. It characterizes both deaths as “egregious,” argues that neither victim fit the description of “the worst of the worst,” and urges the Trump administration to immediately implement policy changes governing ICE traffic stops and enforcement operations.
Those conclusions, combined with ongoing federal and state investigations, may have made Republican participation less likely.
Collins Takes Separate Path
Although Collins did not sign the Democratic-led letter, she has publicly called for accountability in the Biddeford shooting through a separate bipartisan effort.
Last week, Collins joined King in writing to the Department of Justice and FBI requesting a thorough investigation into the shooting and urging federal authorities to fully cooperate with state investigators.
Collins has also called on the Trump administration to suspend non-emergency ICE vehicle stops until body cameras are fully deployed, arguing that body cameras protect both law enforcement officers and the public by providing an objective record of what occurred during critical incidents.
The Maine Wire has reached out to Sen. Susan Collins’ office for comment on why she did not sign the letter and whether her office was invited to participate.
After this article was published, Senator Collins teamed provided this follow up to the Maine Wires request for a comment.
“Sen. Collins and Sen. King have worked together on several letters on the Biddeford shooting – including letters to the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security and theDepartment of Justice. In this case, we were not informed of this letter nor asked to join.”
The 39 Signatories
The letter was signed by 39 senators—38 Democrats and one Independent who caucuses with Democrats.
The signatories are:
- Angus King (I-Maine)
- Chuck Schumer (D-New York)
- Patty Murray (D-Washington)
- Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)
- Gary Peters (D-Michigan)
- Alex Padilla (D-California)
- Andy Kim (D-New Jersey)
- Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
- Chris Coons (D-Delaware)
- Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)
- Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire)
- Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire)
- Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada)
- Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona)
- Adam Schiff (D-California)
- Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia)
- Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
- Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut)
- Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
- Tina Smith (D-Minnesota)
- Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico)
- Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)
- Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland)
- Tim Kaine (D-Virginia)
- Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada)
- Mark Kelly (D-Arizona)
- Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon)
- Michael Bennet (D-Colorado)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island)
- Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware)
- John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado)
- Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York)
- Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
- Mark Warner (D-Virginia)
- Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan)
- John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania)
No Republican senators signed the letter.
The senators concluded by urging DHS to quickly implement reforms they believe would improve transparency and public safety while continuing immigration enforcement operations. Meanwhile, separate federal and state investigations into the Biddeford shooting remain ongoing, and the Trump administration has already begun implementing one of the primary changes sought by lawmakers: requiring ICE agents conducting vehicle stops to wear body cameras.
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