ICE officer vetting under internal review after Maine shooting, officials say
The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing the vetting, training and use of body-worn cameras for the ICE officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine, amid broader concerns over immigration enforcement practices.
The internal affairs unit of the Department of Homeland Security has opened a review of the vetting process for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in a fatal shooting in Maine, officials said on Sunday. The officer, identified as Army veteran David Brouillette, is alleged to have a history of serious mental-health issues and prior violent behavior, according to relatives who spoke to reporters.
"If the allegations against the ICE officer are true, I don’t think he should ever have cleared vetting," said Tom Homan, the administration’s border security coordinator, during a CNN interview.
Homan added that the agency is also re-examining the officer’s training and that a new directive from acting ICE director David Venturella requires at least one body-worn camera to be active during every vehicle stop.
"Right now, on all vehicle stops, there’s at least one body camera on site to record the entire event," Homan said.
The review follows a series of fatal encounters involving ICE officers, including the July 7 shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and the May killing of 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had temporarily halted vehicle stops after the Maine incident, but the pause was lifted shortly thereafter.
Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns about ICE’s training, use of force and accountability. During a closed-door briefing of the House Homeland Security Committee, officials reported 56 complaints of excessive force against ICE officers; 32 were cleared, one was referred for disciplinary action and the remainder remain under investigation. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has advocated for mandatory body-camera use and secured funding for the program.
The agency faces ongoing scrutiny as the administration’s immigration enforcement targets have not been met, and at least ten deaths have been linked to ICE operations since the policy rollout earlier this year.