Gov. Janet Mills traveled to Biddeford on Wednesday to meet with city officials, legislators and the family of the man killed during Monday’s fatal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, describing the shooting as a tragedy that has shaken communities across Maine while renewing her call for Congress to reform the federal immigration agency.
Following a private meeting at Biddeford City Hall with Mayor Liam LaFontaine, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, members of the local legislative delegation and a representative of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Mills said her purpose was to express condolences and support a community struggling to process the deadly encounter.
“I think I speak for most of the people of the State of Maine when I say that this is devastating,” Mills said. “People are pretty upset all across the state of Maine, but particularly in this beautiful city of Biddeford.”
“We hate to see this happen anywhere — the violent killing of any human being,” she continued. “I wanted to come here and express my condolences to the city, to the community and to the members of the Legislature who are here, who are extremely concerned, rightly so, about the safety of people who live here.”
Mayor: Family Has Been the Focus
Mayor Liam LaFontaine said the private meeting centered on the victim’s family and ensuring the city remains in close communication with the governor’s office as multiple investigations continue.
“I want to thank the governor and her office for coming here, sharing her condolences, meeting with myself, the legislative delegation, as well as a member of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, bringing the family, centering the family in this discussion and conversation here today,” LaFontaine said.
“That was the focus. That’s why we’re here — to pay our respects to the family, to look out for their interests.”
LaFontaine thanked Mills and her staff for maintaining open lines of communication and providing resources to Biddeford as the city responds to the shooting.
The mayor also reflected on Biddeford’s history as an immigrant community.
“I’ll remind people that Biddeford is a city that’s been built by immigrants,” LaFontaine said. “You see it walking every day in our downtown.”
He said generations of Franco-American and Irish-American families helped build the city and noted that Biddeford remains home to residents from around the world.
“We are still a global city with residents, and they’re welcome here, and we want them to be safe here,” he said. “That’s what we’re working to make sure — all immigrants are safe here in Biddeford.”
Fecteau: ‘This Doesn’t Happen Here’
House Speaker Ryan Fecteau described the shooting as deeply unsettling for a close-knit community.
“This has been a very difficult time for our community,” Fecteau said. “I said last evening that this doesn’t happen here in Biddeford. This is not normal.”
“We’re a tight-knit community. We’re supposed to be a city, but like any city in the State of Maine, we’re relatively small and we’re tight-knit, and we’re good neighbors to one another.”
Fecteau said Biddeford residents will continue supporting one another despite the tragedy.
“We’re going to continue to be good neighbors to one another. We’re going to continue to be welcoming to people who want to call this city home.”
“That’s what I’m focused on, and that’s what we’re all focused on — continuing to make sure people know that we are a community that works together, that looks out for one another, and that’s not going to change.”
He said the community’s thoughts remain with the victim’s family.
“Our hearts are with a family who has lost a loved one — a husband, a father and a brother.”
Before concluding his remarks, Mills thanked Rep. Marc Malon, Sen. Henry Ingwersen and Rep. Traci Gere for participating in the discussions and representing the concerns of their constituents.
Mills Renews Call for ICE Reform
During a lengthy question-and-answer session, Mills defended a letter she sent Wednesday to Maine’s congressional delegation urging lawmakers to impose greater oversight and accountability on ICE.
“In fairness, that letter just went out late this morning,” Mills said. “It expresses pretty completely my feelings and my position that Congress has to act.”
“We begged them to act back in the spring to enact measures of accountability, measures requiring training of certain sorts, and reining in the agency that was then under Kristi Noem, now under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.”
“We’d like to see more aggressive action on the part of Congress to protect the lives of people across this country — not just in Biddeford, not just in Maine, but everywhere.”
Asked what should happen if Congress fails to act, Mills repeated the conclusion of her letter.
“If they can’t do that,” she said, “then it should be abolished.”
Governor Defends LD 1971
Mills also defended her decision to allow LD 1971, which limits cooperation between Maine law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities, to become law without her signature.
“No, I stand by my position,” Mills said.
“It has been adopted by all the serious agencies across the state, including the Maine State Police. They’ve been complying with the policy and the letter of the law whether it’s actually in effect or not.”
“So no, I don’t regret putting it off until the right time.”
Biddeford Police Not Involved
Asked whether Biddeford Police are already following the law’s provisions, LaFontaine said the department does not cooperate with ICE.
“Biddeford Police does not cooperate with ICE,” he said. “Biddeford PD was not notified of ICE’s interaction prior to them coming to the city on Monday, and I don’t see that changing.”
LaFontaine declined to speculate when asked whether local police involvement might have changed the outcome.
“I’m not here to speculate on it.”
He also said he has remained in contact with representatives of the victim’s family but would respect their request for privacy.
“They want their concerns to remain private at this moment,” he said.
Investigation Ongoing
Mills declined to discuss details of the investigation or identify the ICE agent involved in the shooting.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to offer that information,” she said. “I can just say the investigation is ongoing, and I’m confident it will continue until all the facts are uncovered and understood.”
The governor said she remains confident in Attorney General Aaron Frey and said state officials will continue coordinating with local leaders as the investigation proceeds.
Responding to questions about President Donald Trump’s defense of ICE operations, Mills declined to weigh in on disagreements within the federal government.
“That’s their problem between themselves,” she said.
