WASHINGTON — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) denounced the recent spate of fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, characterizing the incidents as “criminal” and an unacceptable “abuse of power”.
In a brief interview with Migrant Insider on Monday afternoon at the Capitol, the congresswoman pointed to the recent death of a motorist in Biddeford, Maine—the second such ICE-involved fatality in a single week—as a direct consequence of an enforcement system operating with insufficient oversight and rapidly expanding authority.
I said a couple of weeks ago: I would not be surprised if ICE funding started up again, we would start to see more civilian deaths at the hands of ICE… We didn’t see things like this happening to the same degree when we froze ICE funding.
The incident in Maine, which resulted in the death of a 26-year-old Colombian man, has triggered intense scrutiny from lawmakers and advocacy groups. Reports suggest that the individual may not have been the intended target of the warrant, and video evidence of the encounter has further challenged official claims that the use of lethal force was necessary.
This tragedy follows a fatal shooting in Houston, Texas, just days prior, underscoring what critics describe as a mounting pattern of violence within federal immigration operations.
These public encounters occur against a backdrop of historic instability within the detention system itself. Since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025, deaths in ICE custody have surged to levels not seen in over a decade.
With over 70,000 people currently held in detention facilities and a mortality rate that has more than doubled since early 2025, advocates are calling for immediate congressional intervention to address what they term a “systemic failure” of transparency and accountability.
This story was originally published by MeidasTouch on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add MeidasTouch as a Preferred Source by clicking here.