Use of force by ICE agents was at the center of a discussion in Biddeford, Maine on Monday, where members of Congress hosted a shadow hearing. It comes a month after the killing of Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a man who they say was not the intended target of an ICE operation.
Duran Guerrero’s parents traveled from Colombia for the hearing, calling on Congress to act, asking them to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s child.
Applause erupted through the room as a show of support for Duran Guerrero’s parents, Omar and Dora.
Their 25-year-old son was killed by ICE agents in Biddeford, ME on July 13, during an immigration enforcement operation that officials say he was not the intended target of.
“The death of our son, a brother, a father, and a husband has left our hearts broken and a great emptiness in our lives,” Omar said. “We feel a deep pain in our souls when his little daughter, our 3-year-old granddaughter asks for her daddy and why he doesn’t come home from work.”
The hearing was meant to discuss oversight of ICE’s use of force in Duran Guerrero’s death. His parents are asking congress to take action, ensuring that another tragedy, at the hands of ICE agents, doesn’t happen again.
“The death of Johan Sebastian in those conditions, at the hands of ICE fills our community with fear and uncertainty. That’s why I ask only of God and the justice system that my son’s case be brought to light,” Omar said.
Local democrats from Maine and other states, asked questions of advocates, lawyers, and experts about immigration enforcement operations, revealing that Duran Guerrero did not have an order of removal.
“This isn’t someone ICE was looking for. This wasn’t a warrant they were executing. This wasn’t a suspect. Johan Sebastian hadn’t done anything illegal. This was a random stop that escalated into a killing, all with ICE’s body cams off and even ICE knew that this had gone horribly wrong,” Massachusetts Representative Katherine Clark said.
Ben Gideon is the legal representation for the Duran Guerrero family.
“It makes me angry, blood boiling angry that he was killed by an intentional act of our federal government,” Gideon said “Our federal government shot and killed an innocent person and was forced to admit that the person the shot and killed was not the target of their operation, and a month later, the government has still refused to tell us who the target of the operation actually was.”
Maine Governor Janet Mills and Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain also testified, detailing the heartbreak their communities have been suffering through.
“The people of Maine, like people across this country, do not want to live in fear in their own communities,” Gov. Mills said.
“I ask three things of congress,” Mayor LaFountain said. “Require of federal agents what we require of our own local law enforcement. Humane treatment, body cameras, visible identification, clear use of force standards, no masks, and public accountability when any force is used.”
Representative Troy Carter from Louisiana also took part in Monday’s hearing, saying he and his colleagues are eager to bring their findings back to congress.
“We want to take this opportunity to hope and pray that this is the last such hearing that we have to have,” Rep. Carter said.
Boston25 did reach out to DHS for comment on Monday’s hearing but have yet to hear back.
In response to Monday’s hearing, DHS issued the following statement, “It’s clearly stated in our previous comments that, ‘ICE was conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal.’ We are not going to disclose law enforcement sensitive intelligence and methods. No where did we state that Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero or his roommate were the target of the operation.”
Last month, they issued a statement saying the ICE officer opened fire fearing for public safety.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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