Former Vice President Kamala Harris called Tuesday for an independent investigation into the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a Colombian national fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an operation in Biddeford, Maine. The shooting occurred Monday while ICE officers were attempting to locate an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal.
Guerrero was shot after allegedly fleeing from ICE officers in a vehicle during the operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that Guerrero was not the intended target of the arrest warrant. Emergency services were contacted immediately after the shooting, but Guerrero succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
What the Right Is Saying
Critics quickly pointed to Harris's statement as evidence of what they described as inconsistent outrage. During the Biden administration, Republicans frequently referred to Harris as the administration's "border czar" given her role overseeing migration root causes from Central America. Conservative commentators and social media users contrasted her swift public statements about Guerrero with her delayed response to murders committed by illegal immigrants against American citizens. Many referenced the deaths of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley in 2024 and Maryland mother Rachel Morin, both killed by individuals who had entered the country illegally.
What the Left Is Saying
Harris used social media to express her concerns about the incident, writing on X: "Joan Sebastian Guerrero should still be alive." She described it as "the second time in a week that ICE agents have killed someone who — by their own admission — was not the subject of their operation," referring to a separate fatal shooting in Houston involving Lorenzo Salgado Araujo earlier in July. Harris wrote: "This cannot be acceptable in America. Anyone responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable." Immigration rights advocates echoed her call, arguing that ICE use-of-force incidents require independent scrutiny and that immigrants should not face lethal force when they are not the subjects of enforcement actions.
What the Numbers Show
During the Biden administration, federal officials estimated that roughly 2 million known "gotaways" — individuals who crossed the border illegally and avoided capture — entered the United States. DHS confirmed to Fox News Digital that Guerrero had illegally crossed the border under the Biden administration in September 2023 and was granted a work permit in May 2025. A spokesperson noted: "To be clear, work authorization does not confer legal status in the United States." The Portland Press Herald reported that an eyewitness stated Guerrero appeared to drive toward federal agents before shots were fired.
The Bottom Line
The incident has reignited debate over both ICE enforcement practices and immigration policy more broadly. Harris's call for transparency reflects ongoing concerns from progressive advocates about use-of-force accountability in immigration operations. Simultaneously, Republican critics argue her statements highlight what they characterize as differential treatment of victims based on immigration status. What happens next: DHS is expected to release additional details about the operation, and Congress may request a briefing from Secretary Mullin on ICE protocols for vehicle pursuits and use of force.