Approximately 20 clergy members and faith leaders from across Maine gathered Thursday morning at Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse to condemn recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, call for increased federal oversight, and urge elected officials to oppose additional funding for the agency.
The event, organized by the Greater Portland Multifaith Clergy Organizing Group in partnership with the national advocacy organization Faith in Us, was held in coordination with similar demonstrations in Texas and Florida following several recent immigration-related deaths.
The rally centered on the July 13 fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national who was shot during a federal immigration operation in Biddeford. Federal officials have said Durán Guerrero was not the original target of the investigation that led agents to the area. The shooting remains under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
In the days following the shooting, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called for a full and transparent investigation, urged ICE to accelerate deployment of body-worn cameras for field agents, and asked the agency to suspend non-emergency vehicle stops while investigators determine exactly what occurred.
Throughout Thursday’s press conference, clergy members called for independent investigations into ICE operations, greater transparency surrounding the agency’s use of force, expanded civil rights protections, and comprehensive immigration reform. Several speakers also urged Congress to oppose additional funding for ICE and called for the release of immigrants currently being held in federal detention.
Organizers said the South Portland gathering was part of a coordinated national response to several recent immigration-related deaths. In addition to the Biddeford shooting, speakers referenced the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an ICE operation in Houston, the death of Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán after he was struck by a truck while fleeing ICE agents in Florida, and several deaths involving individuals while in ICE custody. Organizers argued the incidents collectively demonstrate the need for greater oversight of federal immigration enforcement.
Although the coalition’s official statement focused on due process, government accountability, and transparency, one speaker’s remarks quickly became the focus of the event.
During his remarks, Rev. Jarrett Kerbel of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bangor used the phrase “masked death squads” while criticizing ICE operations. The phrase was not included in the coalition’s formal written statement but quickly spread across social media and became one of the most widely discussed comments from the rally.
Kerbel’s church has itself been the subject of statewide attention in recent months after the City of Bangor cited St. John’s Episcopal Church for code and ordinance violations related to a homeless encampment established on church property. Church leaders ultimately dismantled the encampment while continuing to advocate for expanded housing assistance and social services.
Thursday’s demonstration has also prompted criticism from some Mainers who argue that many of the state’s religious leaders have responded forcefully to the Biddeford shooting while remaining comparatively quiet following other high-profile tragedies involving immigration and public safety.
Critics contend that many of the organizations willing to organize public demonstrations and statewide press conferences following the Biddeford shooting have not issued similarly visible public statements after fatal crashes and other violent crimes in Maine involving individuals whose immigration status later became part of criminal or federal immigration investigations. Those critics argue that every victim deserves equal compassion and public advocacy regardless of who is responsible for the tragedy.
Supporters of the clergy reject that criticism, maintaining that their focus is on government accountability and the use of deadly force by law enforcement. They argue that when government agents exercise lethal authority, faith leaders have a unique responsibility to demand transparency, constitutional protections, and independent oversight.
The differing perspectives underscore a broader debate that has intensified across Maine in recent weeks. Supporters of Thursday’s rally view the Biddeford shooting as a defining moment that warrants heightened scrutiny of ICE tactics and immigration enforcement. Critics counter that moral leadership should be applied consistently across all victims of violence, regardless of whether the person responsible is a government official or a private individual.
The discussion comes as immigration continues to dominate Maine’s political landscape. The Biddeford shooting has generated protests, renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement, multiple ongoing investigations, and calls for policy changes. At the same time, it has reignited broader conversations about border security, public safety, and the role of Maine’s civic and religious leaders in shaping public policy.
As federal investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the Biddeford shooting, Thursday’s gathering demonstrated how the incident has evolved beyond a single law enforcement encounter into a broader debate over immigration policy, civil liberties, government accountability, and public safety.
