Democrats Target Collins Over 3-Year ICE Funding as 2 Deaths Reignite Abolish-ICE Push
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 18
Democrats Target Collins Over 3-Year ICE Funding as 2 Deaths Reignite Abolish-ICE Push
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 18
Summary
Maine Democrats are sharpening attacks on Sen. Susan Collins over her vote to fund immigration enforcement for three years after two fatal ICE vehicle-stop incidents thrust the issue back into the Senate race.
Collins said she urged DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pause the stops after Johan Sebastián Guerrero’s death, and DHS briefly agreed before President Donald Trump reversed the halt.
At Thursday’s Maine Democratic debate, candidates including Nirav Shah and Troy Jackson tied Collins directly to the deaths, with several embracing calls to abolish ICE rather than pursue reforms.
The backlash is spreading to other key Senate contests: in Texas, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death has fueled Latino anger and given Democrats an opening on immigration, while Minnesota Democrats are again making ICE a defining primary issue.
With just over 100 days until Election Day, Democrats are betting renewed outrage over ICE can mobilize voters in races where the party had recently ceded ground to Trump on immigration.
With billions in new funding, what oversight will prevent more fatal encounters during immigration enforcement?
Beyond body cams, what systemic reforms can address the rising number of deaths in ICE custody?
How are families seeking justice when ICE agents involved in fatal shootings lack body camera footage?
ICE Agent Kills Civilian in Biddeford: Fallout, Vetting Lapses, and the Push for Immigration Policy Overhaul
Overview
On July 13, 2026, a federal immigration operation in Biddeford, Maine, escalated into a fatal shooting when ICE agent David Brouillette, a veteran with nearly a decade of law enforcement experience, shot and killed 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was reportedly driving a sedan and was not the intended target. The incident sparked immediate grief and outrage in the community, leading to protests and calls for accountability. The shooting also raised serious questions about ICE’s vetting and training practices, especially as the agency rapidly expands, and has fueled a broader debate over immigration enforcement policies and the future of ICE.