Politics
ICE Agent Who Killed Colombian Migrant in Biddeford Had History of Anti-Immigrant Hostility, Records Show
David Brouillette, the rookie ICE officer who fatally shot Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford this summer, had a documented history of anti-immigrant hostility â including 2021 emails attacking his sister over her relationship with a Colombian man â on top of prior domestic violence complaints and mental health struggles.
AUGUSTA, Maine â The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who fatally shot a Colombian migrant in Biddeford this summer had a documented history of hostility toward immigrants, particularly Colombians, years before he joined the agency, according to records and accounts of his conduct.
David Brouillette, a former U.S. Army sergeant who was new to ICE when he shot and killed Joan Sebastian Guerrero at a Biddeford intersection, had already drawn scrutiny over past complaints of domestic violence and abuse, as well as mental health issues. The newly surfaced record of anti-immigrant animus adds another dimension to questions about how he was hired and deployed.
In 2021 â four years before he became an ICE officer â Brouillette sent a series of emails to his sister and other relatives railing against her long-term relationship with a Colombian man, with whom she has two children. The messages, described as deeply hostile toward Colombians, reflect views that would seem sharply at odds with the duties of a federal immigration officer.
The shooting has already become a flashpoint in Maine. An impromptu memorial has stood at the intersection where Guerrero was killed, and his family has called for criminal charges against the agent. The case has also rippled into state politics: ICE enforcement activity in Maine may have contributed to the midterm defeat of Senator Susan Collins, a development that has intensified debate over the agency's footprint in the state.
The killing has drawn dueling state and federal investigations, with local and federal authorities pursuing separate probes into how a newly hired officer came to use lethal force. Brouillette's rapid path into the agency â he was a rookie at the time of the shooting â has raised questions about ICE's vetting and training standards.
For immigrant communities in Maine, the disclosures deepen concerns about whether agents with documented hostility toward immigrants are being screened out before they are armed and sent into the field. Advocates have argued that the case underscores the need for independent oversight of federal immigration enforcement, particularly in states where the agency's presence has grown.
The family of Guerrero, the man killed, has continued to press for accountability, and the competing investigations are expected to examine both the circumstances of the shooting and the officer's background.