Johan Sebastián Was Not ICE's Intended Target But They Killed Him Anyway

Less than a week after ICE fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Arajuo on the streets of Houston, ICE murdered another man in cold blood nearly 2,000 miles away in Biddeford, Maine.

On Monday morning, ICE shot and killed Johan Sebastián, a 25-year-old Colombian national legally authorized to work in this country. As with Salgado Arajuo, ICE claimed Sebastián tried to use his vehicle as a weapon, and he was eliminated in the interest of "public safety." Again, as with last week's incident in Houston, ICE agents were not wearing their body cameras. 

A pattern is emerging and it is reasonable to conclude that ICE agents are either not wearing their bodycams or disposing of bodycam evidence. Either way, ICE is not conducting itself in a way which inspires public confidence nor for that matter is DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Indeed, Mullin initially told Maine Independent Senator Angus King that Sebastián was the target of an ICE removal order. But hours later, Mullin had to call King to tell him that Sebastián was not the target of the investigation. However, Sebastián was seen leaving the address of the targeted person and ICE being ICE judged him by the color of his skin, presumed him guilty and saw fit to execute him in broad daylight.

This incident could have significant ramifications in Maine's Senate election even if Republican incumbent Susan Collins does not have an opponent. Collins voted to support funding ICE and she will have to answer for ICE killing someone in a state with a population of less than a 1.5 million people. For her part, Collins has said she urged to ICE "to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops." But the damage has been done and what Collins considers non-urgent might be very different than what ICE and the Trump Administration consider to be non-urgent.

After all, I knew Lorenzo Salgado Arajuo would not be the last person to be killed by ICE, and I am even more certain that Johan Sebastián will not be the last person killed by ICE. The only question is how many more people ICE will kill in their relentless, reckless disregard for human life.