ICE reviews vetting of officer involved in Maine shooting and mandates body cameras for vehicle stops

The internal affairs division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is re-examining the vetting of Officer David Brouillette, an Army veteran who fatally shot 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, after relatives disclosed his prior mental-health and violent-behavior concerns.

"If the allegations are true, I don’t think he should ever have cleared vetting," said Tom Homan, the administration’s border policy adviser, during a CNN interview.

Homan added that the agency is also reviewing 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 criticism of the Department of Homeland Security’s rapid hiring and deployment of ICE officers amid a series of fatal shootings involving immigrants in Maine and Houston. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had temporarily halted vehicle stops after the Maine incident, but the pause was lifted shortly thereafter.

Congressional lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns about ICE’s use of force. During a closed-door briefing of the House Homeland Security Committee, officials reported 56 complaints of excessive force, of which 32 were cleared, one was referred for disciplinary action and the remainder remain under investigation.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, has advocated for mandatory body-camera use and secured funding for the program, describing the lack of video evidence in the Maine shooting as "extremely unfortunate."