Faced with what officials described as an immediate threat, one ICE agent opened fire. Guerrero was struck during the confrontation and later died from his injuries despite emergency responders arriving at the scene.
An eyewitness who observed the incident from nearby said the officers’ version of events matched what he saw.
Lucas Scott, an 18-year-old who was present during the confrontation, described the chaotic moments in comments to the New York Post.
“The car was put into drive and was trying to hit the ICE officer,” Scott told the newspaper.
That account has become a focal point for supporters of law enforcement, who argue the shooting was a clear case of self-defense after officers were confronted with a vehicle allegedly being used as a weapon.
Within hours of the shooting, Harris publicly weighed in on the incident, directing her criticism toward ICE rather than focusing on the attack described by investigators.
Posting on X, the former vice president called for what she described as an independent review of the shooting.
“Joan Sebastian Guerrero should still be alive,” she wrote. “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.”
Harris also highlighted that Guerrero’s young daughter reportedly witnessed the incident.
“This cannot be acceptable in America,” Harris
She called for what she described as an “immediate, independent, and transparent investigation” into the actions of the federal agent who fired the fatal shot.
Her statement quickly drew criticism from conservatives, who questioned why Harris focused on the officer’s actions instead of the allegations that Guerrero attempted to drive directly at federal agents.
Supporters of ICE argue that law enforcement officers are increasingly facing violent resistance while carrying out immigration enforcement operations.
They also point to Harris’ record during the Biden administration, where Republicans frequently criticized her handling of border security after President Joe Biden tasked her with addressing the root causes of migration from Central America.
Conservatives contend that the administration presided over historically high levels of illegal immigration and argue that Harris’ latest comments reinforce concerns that Democratic leaders are more willing to scrutinize officers than those accused of attacking them.
Critics further argue that this latest controversy reflects a broader shift within the Democratic Party on policing and criminal justice.
They note that Democrats once promoted tough-on-crime policies during the 1990s but increasingly embraced criminal justice reform following the nationwide protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death in 2020.
From their perspective, calls for investigations into police or ICE officers after use-of-force incidents have become a predictable political response, even when officers claim they acted in self-defense.
Supporters of stricter immigration enforcement also cite Department of Homeland Security data showing a sharp increase in assaults involving vehicles directed at ICE personnel.
According to DHS figures, there have been 68 reported vehicular attacks on ICE officers over the past year, compared to just two during a comparable period before President Donald Trump returned to office.
Administration officials argue those statistics demonstrate the increasingly dangerous conditions ICE officers encounter while performing routine enforcement operations.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy through Truth Social, expressing support for ICE personnel and defending the use of traffic stops as a key immigration enforcement strategy.
“The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done,” he posted. “CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades.”
Trump also rejected any suggestion that ICE should scale back its enforcement tactics.
“We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote.
The debate has also fueled speculation about Harris’ political future as she continues to remain active within Democratic politics ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.
Conservatives argue that her response to the Maine shooting reflects an effort to appeal to the Democratic Party’s progressive base, while supporters maintain her call for an independent investigation is consistent with demands for accountability whenever deadly force is used by law enforcement.
As federal investigators continue reviewing the Biddeford shooting, the incident has become yet another flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement, public safety, and the political divisions surrounding the work of ICE officers.
