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Former Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday after agents fatally shot a Colombian national during a Maine operation, sparking criticism from opponents who contrasted her response with her silence on high-profile murders committed by illegal immigrants.
Harris called for “an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation” into the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero.
Guerrero was shot Monday after attempting to flee ICE officers in a vehicle during an operation targeting an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Joan Sebastian Guerrero should still be alive,” Harris wrote Tuesday on X. “This is the second time in a week that ICE agents have killed someone who — by their own admission — was not the subject of their operation. Now Sebastian is dead, his killing witnessed by his three-year-old daughter wearing her Bluey pajamas.
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“This cannot be acceptable in America,” Harris continued. “Anyone responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable.”
Harris’ comments quickly sparked criticism online, with many users pointing to her role overseeing the Biden administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration from Central America, a position Republicans frequently referred to as the administration’s “border czar.”
During the Biden administration, federal officials estimated that roughly 2 million known “gotaways” entered the U.S. after crossing the border illegally and avoiding capture.
ICE officers were conducting surveillance Monday morning at the last known address of an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal in Biddeford, Maine, when Guerrero allegedly fled in a vehicle after officers attempted to make contact, according to Homeland Security.
“The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” the department said in a statement. “The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.”
An eyewitness told Maine’s Portland Press Herald that Guerrero appeared to drive toward federal agents before shots were fired.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation.
However, the department said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Guerrero had illegally crossed the border during the Biden administration in September 2023. It is unknown if he was awaiting asylum, but he was granted a work permit in May 2025.
“To be clear, work authorization does not confer legal status in the United States,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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Many commentators also argued Harris and other leading Democrats have been far less vocal in publicly mourning Americans killed by illegal immigrants than in condemning ICE enforcement actions.
Some critics cited the 2024 death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed by Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra after he illegally entered the U.S. Others referenced Maryland mother Rachel Morin, who was raped and murdered by Salvadoran illegal immigrant Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez.
“I will start giving a f— about the illegals killed by ICE when Democrats start giving a f— about Americans killed by illegals,” one X user wrote.
Unlike in the killing of Guerrero, Harris did not make a social media post paying tribute to Riley or Morin’s death. Harris did not publicly acknowledge the death of those young women at the hands of illegal immigrants until pressed by Fox News host Bret Baier in an Oct. 24, 2024, interview.
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“First of all, those are tragic cases,” Harris said after Baier asked whether the Biden administration bore any responsibility for the deaths. “There’s no question about that. I can’t imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced for a loss that should not have occurred.”
The deaths of Riley and Morin became a flashpoint issue for Republicans during the 2024 presidential campaign and throughout the Trump administration’s push to tighten immigration enforcement.
Social media users also pointed to angel families, who are relatives of Americans killed by illegal immigrants who have become prominent advocates for stronger border security and immigration enforcement. The families frequently have appeared alongside President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers at campaign events, the White House and on Capitol Hill to highlight crimes committed by people in the country illegally.
Harris’ statement follows another July post she made after a separate fatal ICE shooting in Houston involving Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whom the Department of Homeland Security also said attempted to ram federal officers with his vehicle during a traffic stop.
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“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family called him ‘El mundo entero’ — the whole world,” Harris wrote Thursday. “Doug and my prayers are with Lorenzo’s wife, his three sons, and all those who loved and knew him. I join his son Ronaldo in calling for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Harris for comment.
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