Red flags about agent in Maine shooting may have been missed, Homan acknowledges
If allegations of violent behavior against an immigration officer prove true, the officer should be disqualified during the vetting process, border czar Tom Homan said on Sunday.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said the agency’s investigative process may have failed after it was revealed that an ICE agent involved in a fatal shooting in Maine had allegations of abuse from two ex-wives and was at one point ordered to give up his firearms.
“If these are real, I don’t think they should pass scrutiny,” Homan said, adding that an internal affairs investigation is ongoing. “How did the review process fail? Was this information not available? Did they not know?”
He continued: “If this person had such a history, it would be a matter of investigation and should be brought to the attention of those making these decisions.”
The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly identified any agents involved in the July 13 shooting death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero during an immigration enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine. However, the allegations against the agency have reignited concerns about the agency’s hiring processes.
ICE began rapidly expanding its workforce in January 2025 to comply with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Offer up to $50,000 while signing bonuses. Todd Lyons, who served as ICE’s acting director at the time. boasted about recruitment campaign It generated more than 220,000 submissions.
“This expansion of a well-trained and well-supervised workforce will help further enhance ICE’s ability to carry out the president and the secretary’s bold agenda,” Lyons told Congress in February. he said.
But the hiring spree has raised concerns news came out allegations of criminal misconduct, lack of experience, and violence among new hires.
Still, Homan expressed confidence in the agency’s overall hiring process on Sunday, telling CNN that such incidents are “rare.”
“Look, you know ICE has about 30,000 employees. They all go under review. It’s rare, but it’s still under review,” Homan said.
