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Person allegedly killed during ICE operation in Maine
One person was reportedly shot and killed during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine, according to the state’s speaker of the house, Ryan Fecteau.
“This morning a shooting occurred in Biddeford. A person was killed. ICE was involved. State Police and the Department of Public Safety are now on scene to gather details and would expect the FBI to investigate as well,” he said.
Police confirmed to local news that the area where the shooting was reported has been closed and that there was significant police presence.
Key events
The shooting in Maine occurred at approximately 7.20am, a man named Lucas Scott – described as an eyewitness – told the Biddeford Gazette. Scott described seeing “at least two officers” in green ICE vests gathered around a white sedan stopped at an intersection, according to the outlet.
He said the agents were yelling “very loudly” and that he heard at least four gunshots.
Local media said authorities closed a road and local law enforcement were joined by FBI officials at a crime scene in Biddeford, a city of more than 21,000 people that is about 15 miles south of Portland and 90 miles north of Boston.
Trump says US is reinstating blockade on Iranian ports
Tom Ambrose
In a Truth Social post earlier, Donald Trump claimed that the strait of Hormuz is open and will “remain” open “with or without Iran”, and said the US will reinstate its blockade of Iranian ports.
He said the US would start charging fees on ships transiting through the narrow waterway, claiming the US would levy a 20% fee “for any and all costs necessary” to provide security and safety for vessels.
Trump wrote:
We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving.
All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately.
Preliminary findings from the DC medical examiner’s office have found that Lindsey Graham suffered from an aortic dissection, caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a statement from his office said yesterday.
A death certificate remains pending until all toxicological and microscopic tests are finalized, the statement said, adding: “At that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death.”
South Carolina governor to announce Graham’s replacement this afternoon
Further to that, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster’s office has announced that he will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce who he is selecting to fill the remainder of Lindsey Graham’s term.
He will also make remarks on Graham’s life and service at the news conference at 4pm ET.
The person appointed will serve as senator until Graham’s term ends in early January. There will be a special Republican primary on 11 August for his permanent successor.
Trump says South Carolina’s governor should appoint Lindsey Graham’s sister to finish his term
Donald Trump has said that he’s recommended that Lindsey Graham’s sister be named as his temporary replacement in the Senate.
Trump posted on social media that South Carolina governor Henry McMaster should appoint Darline Graham Nordone to fulfill the rest of Graham’s term, which expires in January.
I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show police tending to a person on the ground beside a white vehicle with bullet holes in the windscreen. A white SUV appears to have crashed into the side of that car.
According to the Portland Press Herald, protesters are already gathering at the corner of Pool Street and Foss Street near the scene of the shooting.
Maine Democratic US representative Chellie Pingree said in a video posted on social media that she was driving to Portland to catch a flight to Washington when she learned of the reported shooting. She said she was seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether officers were wearing body cameras, adding:
More than anything else, I want to know, ‘Why are you in Maine?’
The Trump administration launched a surge in immigration enforcement across Maine in January dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day”. Immigration officials said in late January that they had ceased “enhanced operations” in Maine after making hundreds of arrests.
A Homeland Security spokesperson told the Associated Press at the time that some Maine arrests were of people “convicted of horrific crimes including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.” But court records painted a slightly different story. While some had felony convictions, others were detainees with unresolved immigration proceedings or who were arrested but never convicted of a crime.
Some community groups and advocates that rallied against the surge earlier this year have already started to organize in response to today’s shooting, according to CNN, with the group Maine Resists planning an emergency community rally in the city at noon, and the racial justice and immigrant rights group Project Relief saying it is in touch with the victim’s family.
Former Maine state senator Troy Jackson, who has launched a bid to replace Graham Platner on the Democratic US Senate ballot, has this update on X:
I’ve been alerted to the fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford this morning. Our team is monitoring this situation very closely and will provided updates as we learn more. My heart is with Biddeford – and with all Mainers.
Jackson added in a subsequent post:
Our immigrant communities are under attack by ICE. For too long, federal agents have been abducting our neighbors in brazen violation of the Constitution, and today, they have tragically escalated even further. This rogue agency must be abolished. In the meantime, the Maine Solidarity Fund is doing vital work getting people released from ICE detention, supporting families, and organizing to keep us all safe. Please donate and share today.
The shooting in Maine comes days after an ICE officer fatally shot Texas builder Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, in Houston last Tuesday, after he was pursued by federal agents driving unmarked vehicles while he was taking his construction crew to their latest job site.
Federal agents were looking for someone else when they tried to stop Salgado Araujo’s white van, Democratic congresswoman Sylvia Garcia said, citing a briefing she received from ICE’s acting director. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that an ICE officer fired at the van in self-defense after Salgado Araujo, who officials described as an “illegal alien”, rammed an ICE vehicle. They have provided no evidence.
The three men that Salgado Araujo was driving said he was shot through a passenger window – and that the ICE officer who fired was not in front of the van or even in danger, a lawyer who has spoken with them said on Friday.
His family has also disputed the account from ICE. They said lawyers, who were helping him apply for a work permit, had explained how he should behave if immigration agents stopped him. Salgado Araujo was close to obtaining legal status when he was killed, they said.
“He knew what to do,” his oldest son, Ronaldo Salgado, told reporters. “He knew not to sign anything. He knew that the first phone call he should make should be either to myself or to my mom. So that way we can get the process started of getting him out.”
He believes his father may have been scared that he was being followed by unmarked vehicles, worried someone was planning to steal his van or his tools.
Salgado Araujo’s death marked the 10th fatal shooting by federal immigration officials in the US since the second Trump administration took office, a review of public reports by the Guardian shows. His killing has outraged Houston leaders, sparked protests and renewed public demands for accountability from ICE and scrutiny over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Salgado Araujo entered the US more than 30 years ago, settling in Houston with his wife where they raised their three children.
“We are never going to forget that his blood is on Donald Trump’s hands,” Christian Menefee, a US representative, said. “We are not at war. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not a casualty. He was a human being who was murdered by our government.”
The Maine shooting did involve ICE, local news reports
The Maine Wire reports that the fatal shooting with one person killed in Biddeford Maine did involve ICE, and that there will be a press conference with more details.
No time has been provided for the impending press conference.
