Pingree questions DHS secretary on hiring process, background checks for ICE agents
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday with questions about immigration enforcement in Maine and the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford on Monday.
“My constituents are being asked to trust that deadly force was justifiable and are left to confront the question of whether federal immigration officers are operating under policies that prioritize aggressive efforts to meet quotas over the preservation of human life,” Pingree wrote.
In the letter, she asked for more information about the operation in Biddeford on the day of the shooting, including what training the federal officers had received and whether they were wearing body cameras.
Pingree also pressed for details about the hiring process for immigration agents.
The Portland Press Herald reported Thursday that the officer who killed Guerrero was David Brouillette, who has held multiple jobs in law enforcement and public safety in Maine. His ex-wife, who identified him as the shooter after speaking to him on the phone this week, said she previously reported concerns about his mental health to his superiors in the military and described abusive behavior during and after their marriage.
“There have been credible and alarming reports about the officer who allegedly discharged the weapon that resulted in Mr. Guerrero’s death, including a history of ‘terrifying and violent’ behavior,” Pingree wrote, quoting from the Associated Press. “Further, DHS reported that ICE had hired 12,000 new officers and agents in less than a year. How do you ensure the quality and experience of these new hires?”
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She asked what information is reported from background checks before hiring, what would disqualify an applicant and what is the average time between an individual submitting an application and a final offer being extended.
An investigation by the Associated Press earlier this year found that a hiring spree at ICE led to new employees with questionable histories who were either not fully vetted or were hired in spite of their past.
Pingree said she expects a response by July 24, and also for the department to brief her office on the status of the administrative review of the shooting and any policy changes under consideration.
“This needless death raises the question of whether DHS has learned anything from prior tragedies, or whether DHS has the decency to care,” she wrote. “If the Department continues to ignore systematic failures and dismiss each fatal shooting as an isolated event, then the loss of trust in this institution is well and truly deserved, and we need to consider how to fundamentally change our approach to immigration enforcement.”
DHS did not immediately respond to an email or a voicemail about the letter Friday afternoon.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday with questions about immigration enforcement in Maine and the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford on Monday.
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“My constituents are being asked to trust that deadly force was justifiable and are left to confront the question of whether federal immigration officers are operating under policies that prioritize aggressive efforts to meet quotas over the preservation of human life,” Pingree wrote.
In the letter, she asked for more information about the operation in Biddeford on the day of the shooting, including what training the federal officers had received and whether they were wearing body cameras.
Pingree also pressed for details about the hiring process for immigration agents.
The Portland Press Herald reported Thursday that the officer who killed Guerrero was David Brouillette, who has held multiple jobs in law enforcement and public safety in Maine. His ex-wife, who identified him as the shooter after speaking to him on the phone this week, said she previously reported concerns about his mental health to his superiors in the military and described abusive behavior during and after their marriage.
“There have been credible and alarming reports about the officer who allegedly discharged the weapon that resulted in Mr. Guerrero’s death, including a history of ‘terrifying and violent’ behavior,” Pingree wrote, quoting from the Associated Press. “Further, DHS reported that ICE had hired 12,000 new officers and agents in less than a year. How do you ensure the quality and experience of these new hires?”
She asked what information is reported from background checks before hiring, what would disqualify an applicant and what is the average time between an individual submitting an application and a final offer being extended.
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An investigation by the Associated Press earlier this year found that a hiring spree at ICE led to new employees with questionable histories who were either not fully vetted or were hired in spite of their past.
Pingree said she expects a response by July 24, and also for the department to brief her office on the status of the administrative review of the shooting and any policy changes under consideration.
“This needless death raises the question of whether DHS has learned anything from prior tragedies, or whether DHS has the decency to care,” she wrote. “If the Department continues to ignore systematic failures and dismiss each fatal shooting as an isolated event, then the loss of trust in this institution is well and truly deserved, and we need to consider how to fundamentally change our approach to immigration enforcement.”
DHS did not immediately respond to an email or a voicemail about the letter Friday afternoon.