Maine Democratic Senate candidates demand ICE abolition

Following the killing of a man by ICE agents in Maine, Democratic Senate candidates are calling for the agency to be abolished.

Scraper SystemJuly 14, 2026, 12:35 PM

Maine Democratic Senate candidates demand ICE abolition

In the state of Maine, following a fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Democratic Party Senate candidates are pushing for the agency to be abolished. The incident, which occurred on Monday in Biddeford, has reignited debates over US immigration practices.

Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah said, "I think ICE in its current form is unable to do its job. ICE needs to be abolished." Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told reporters, "This is unacceptable in America. A young man, a father, was killed by ICE... This must stop. We need to get ICE off the streets."

Former state Senate President Troy Jackson posted "Abolish ICE" on social media, while social worker and former congressional candidate Paige Loud said at a protest, "We must abolish ICE and prosecute the leaders of these operations that are destroying communities."

These developments came just three days after Senator Graham Platner withdrew from the race due to sexual harassment allegations. Among the seven Democratic candidates vying to fill Platner's vacant seat, the final nominee will be chosen by approximately 600 delegates at the party convention on July 25.

The investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Maine Attorney General's Office and the FBI. According to initial statements, the driver targeted in the operation attempted to flee toward an ICE agent. Two immigrant advocacy groups stated that the person killed had a work permit and Social Security number in the US.

Republican Senator Susan Collins said the incident must be "fully and impartially investigated." It was also announced that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's office of the Inspector General in Boston has taken over the investigation in cooperation with the FBI.

This incident in Biddeford marks the second case in which ICE agents used deadly force during a traffic stop, following a similar incident in Houston. The debates, which began earlier this year with the shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and resurfaced as President Donald Trump accelerated deportation operations, have intensified further with this latest incident in Maine.

Maine Democratic Senate candidates demand ICE abolition

Following the killing of a man by ICE agents in Maine, Democratic Senate candidates are calling for the agency to be abolished.