BIDDEFORD, Maine — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will be joined by two high-ranking House Democrats in Biddeford on Monday for a congressional “shadow hearing” examining the fatal shooting of Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last month.
The hearing, titled “Seeking Justice in Biddeford: Oversight of ICE’s Use of Force in the Death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero,” is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, at 11 a.m. at the Little Theater at Biddeford High School, according to an official announcement from Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
The event is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on Pingree’s YouTube channel.
Unlike a formal committee hearing authorized by the Republican-controlled House, Monday’s event is being characterized by organizers as a Democratic shadow hearing.
Who Will Attend
According to the congressional announcement, the lawmakers scheduled to participate include:
- Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), who represents Maine’s 1st Congressional District;
- Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security;
- Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the House Democratic Whip
- Other Democratic members of Congress, who have not yet been publicly identified.
The announced witness panel includes:
- Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain;
- Attorney Ben Gideon, representing the Durán Guerrero family;
- Sue Roche, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project;
- Mufalo Chitam, executive director of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition; and
- Additional witnesses who organizers say will be announced later.
Members of Congress and witnesses are expected to hold a press conference immediately following the hearing.
Democrats Turn to ‘Shadow Hearing’
The hearing will give Democrats an opportunity to publicly question witnesses about ICE’s use of force, the investigation into Durán Guerrero’s death and the broader impact of federal immigration enforcement operations in Maine.
The official announcement says lawmakers will hear from representatives of the Durán Guerrero family, local officials and immigration advocates who can discuss both the investigation and ICE operations in the state.
Because Democrats do not control the House, however, the gathering does not carry the same authority as a formal committee hearing convened by the Republican majority.
The distinction could become important if lawmakers seek testimony or records from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. A shadow hearing can provide a public forum for testimony and political oversight, but it does not by itself carry all of the compulsory powers available through a formally authorized congressional investigation.
Fatal Encounter in Biddeford
Durán Guerrero was killed during an ICE operation in Biddeford on July 13.
Federal officials have said ICE agents were conducting targeted surveillance connected to another person with a final order of removal when they encountered Durán Guerrero. DHS said he attempted to flee in his vehicle and that an officer fired because of concerns for public safety.
Durán Guerrero, however, was not the person ICE agents were originally targeting, according to information provided by Homeland Security officials to U.S. Sen. Angus King.
Accounts of precisely what happened in the moments before the shooting have remained disputed.
The shooting quickly became a flashpoint in Maine’s ongoing debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
LaFountain has repeatedly called for transparency surrounding the investigation and questioned why the ICE agents involved were not equipped with body cameras. The mayor has also called for state law enforcement to play a meaningful role in reviewing the shooting.
Questions have also emerged about the background and vetting of the ICE officer reportedly involved in the shooting. The Trump administration subsequently began reviewing ICE vetting procedures following reports about allegations involving the officer’s past.
Political Scrutiny Comes to Biddeford
Monday’s hearing will bring the debate directly to the city where the shooting occurred and will put some of the highest-ranking Democrats in the House alongside local elected officials and immigration advocacy organizations.
Thompson is the top Democrat on the committee responsible for congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, while Clark holds the No. 2 position in House Democratic leadership as Democratic Whip.
The hearing also gives Pingree, whose district includes Biddeford, a high-profile platform to challenge the administration’s handling of the shooting and ICE enforcement practices.
Whether ICE, DHS officials, law enforcement representatives or anyone offering the federal government’s account of the July 13 encounter will participate was not indicated in the announcement. The witness list released so far consists of the mayor, the family’s attorney and immigration advocacy leaders, with additional witnesses still to be announced.
The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at Biddeford High School’s Little Theater, 18 Maplewood Ave. The event is open to the public.
The hearing will also be streamed live through Pingree’s YouTube channel.
Official hearing announcement: House Committee on Homeland Security Democrats — “Seeking Justice in Biddeford”
As of Wednesday evening, a search of Rep. Pingree’s congressional website did not turn up a separate page announcing Monday’s hearing. The Homeland Security Democrats’ announcement, however, identifies Pingree’s office as the media contact and confirms her role as a host of the event.
