Democratic members of Congress held a field hearing Monday at Biddeford High School examining the fatal July 13 shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine led the session, joined by Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee; House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts; and Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana. The event, titled “Seeking Justice in Biddeford: Oversight of ICE’s Use of Force in the Death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero,” took place in the school’s Little Theater and was open to the public.
Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national living in Biddeford, was shot during an ICE operation near the intersection of Pool and Hill streets. Department of Homeland Security officials initially stated agents were conducting surveillance related to a person with a final order of removal when a vehicle left the residence, attempted to flee a stop, and an officer fired out of concern for public safety. Durán Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation.
At the hearing, Pingree said newly available information showed the intended target—Durán Guerrero’s roommate and the owner of the vehicle he was driving—also lacked a final removal order. She described the development as contradicting earlier DHS accounts. Pingree further stated that Durán Guerrero had a pending asylum case and held a valid work authorization.
Witnesses included Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain, family attorney Ben Gideon, Sue Roche of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, and Mufalo Chitam of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition. Durán Guerrero’s parents traveled from Colombia and addressed the panel, describing their son’s character and the impact of his death. Lawmakers and witnesses criticized the absence of released body-camera footage, limited transparency from federal agencies, and the lack of a formal House oversight hearing under Republican control.
Organizers characterized the session as a “shadow hearing” held in Maine because House Republicans had not scheduled official proceedings in Washington. Participants said ICE and Republican members had been invited. The Maine Attorney General’s Office continues its investigation into the shooting. Federal investigative status remains unclear, according to statements at the hearing and subsequent press conference.
The session concluded with calls for greater accountability in immigration enforcement operations and transparency regarding the use of force.
Not a word from the jackass party about Americans victimized by illegal aliens. Not one word. They DO NOT care about American citizens. Remember that in November and vote accordingly.