Anti-ICE protesters swarmed Sen. Susan Collins’ district office in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, hours after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a Colombian man during an immigration enforcement operation in the same city.
Video from the scene showed a crowd forcing their way into the Republican senator’s office while others gathered outside holding signs reading “Protect Our Neighbors” and “ACAB Includes ICE.” Protesters shouted slogans, banged on the office’s glass doors, and repeatedly chanted, “Vote her out!”
The acronym “ACAB” stands for “All Cops Are Bastards.”
Local police responded as the crowd grew, though no immediate arrests were reported.
Fatal Encounter Sparks Outrage
The protest followed a deadly confrontation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and a 26-year-old Colombian national during a deportation operation Monday morning.
According to Maine authorities, the shooting occurred around 7:18 a.m. while ICE agents were attempting to execute a final removal order. Officials said the man allegedly drove his vehicle toward a federal agent while attempting to flee, prompting the agent to open fire.
Maine Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the man attempted to “weaponize” his vehicle against federal officers before the shooting.
King’s office also said Mullin told the senator that the man who was killed “was not the target of the warrant.”
Federal authorities have not publicly identified the ICE agent involved, nor have they said whether the agents were equipped with body cameras.
Witnesses told local media the man’s 3-year-old daughter was inside the vehicle during the incident.
Immigrant advocacy organizations identified the man as a Colombian national who was authorized to work in the United States and lived in the Biddeford area with his wife and daughter.
Investigation Underway
The Maine Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the shooting in coordination with the FBI, Maine State Police, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Gov. Janet Mills and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau have both confirmed the joint investigation, while the attorney general’s office has released preliminary information but emphasized that investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened.
Federal officials have released few additional details as the investigation continues.
Collins Targeted Despite No Direct Role
Although Collins played no role in the immigration operation, demonstrators directed their frustration toward the longtime senator because of her support for federal immigration funding and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
Protesters filled the office lobby while others remained outside, accusing Collins of enabling ICE’s actions and demanding that she oppose the agency’s operations in Maine.
The demonstration at Collins’ office was part of a broader series of protests that unfolded across Biddeford following the shooting, with activists calling for greater transparency and accountability from federal authorities.
GOP Candidate Calls for Facts
Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles urged the public not to rush to judgment as investigators work to determine what happened, saying Mainers deserve a full and transparent accounting of the incident.
“Maine deserves the truth about what happened,” Charles said.
“We don’t have full details yet, and anyone claiming to know exactly what happened is getting ahead of the facts. What I do know is this: federal agents put their lives on the line every day, often in split-second, dangerous situations, and if an agent’s life was threatened, he had every right under the law to protect himself, just as any Maine citizen would,” Charles said.
“What happened in the moments before that decision was made is now for Maine’s attorney general and the FBI to determine, thoroughly and transparently.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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