Trump Border Chief Says ICE Officer in Fatal Maine Shooting Should Not Have Passed Background Checks

Tom Homan, the Trump administration's border chief, said on Sunday that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in the fatal shooting of a man in Maine should not have passed the agency's vetting process if allegations about his past were known.

His comments came as separate criminal and administrative investigations continue into the 13 July death of 25-year-old Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford.

To recall, the shooting has drawn new scrutiny over ICE's recruitment and background screening after reports emerged that two women previously married to the officer had accused him of abuse. The case has also intensified calls from lawmakers for greater oversight of the agency's hiring standards and operational procedures.

Trump Border Chief Questions ICE Vetting Process

Appearing on a recent interview, Homan was asked whether someone facing the reported allegations should have been eligible to serve as an ICE agent.

'No, if those ... are facts ... I don't think he should ever have cleared vetting,' Homan said when questioned about the officer's suitability.

He explained that investigators are now examining whether the agency's screening procedures failed before the officer joined ICE.

'When they hire somebody, they put them through a vetting process and look at all that stuff. So I know, based on that information, that's part of the ongoing investigation,' Homan said. 'How ... did the vetting process fail? Was that information not available? Did they not know?'

He added that a separate administrative review is underway to determine whether the relevant information existed at the time and, if so, why it did not prevent the officer from being hired.

'If that was factual, he would have an almost impossible time to pass vetting,' Homan said.

The officer involved has been identified by several news organisations as David Brouillette, although the US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not publicly confirmed his identity.

ICE Shooting Investigation Widens

The scrutiny surrounding the fatal shooting has widened after two of Brouillette's former wives publicly described what they alleged were abusive relationships.

One of them, Lucinda Brouillette, alleged her former husband displayed a 'persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear and control' during their marriage.

'If you were to ask me whether I believe David Brouillette is capable of this level of violence, my answer is unequivocally yes,' she said in a statement.

Homan declined to comment directly on the specific allegations, citing the ongoing investigation, but reiterated that any confirmed history of that nature should have raised concerns during the recruitment process.

'If this person had that type of history, it would have been a vetting issue, and it should have been brought to the attention of those who make those decisions,' he said. 'We will see. It's all being reviewed. We will see where it lies.'

The incident has also earned criticisms from Democratic lawmakers, who argue the allegations raise broader questions about ICE's hiring practices.

Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, the senior Democrat on the US House Homeland Security Committee, said the reported allegations surrounding the officer's past 'directly call into question the supposed vetting and training ICE does of its recruits'.

The Maine shooting has also highlighted concerns about accountability during enforcement operations. Neither the incident involving Durán Guerrero nor another fatal shooting involving an ICE officer in Texas earlier this month produced body camera footage.

Following those cases, Homan announced that ICE officers will now be required to wear body cameras during vehicle stops.

Other Fatal Shooting Case Still Under Investigation

The Texas investigation remains active as well. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said laboratory testing found that a white substance recovered from a van involved in that case tested negative for narcotics or illegal drugs, despite an FBI search warrant application describing it as consistent with methamphetamine.

Relatives of the man killed in Texas, Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, have maintained the substance was an electrolyte salt mixture used by construction workers to stay hydrated in extreme heat.

Investigations into both fatal shootings remain ongoing. Authorities have not released final findings on the Maine case, and questions surrounding the officer's vetting process have yet to be resolved.