Nine deaths tied to Trump’s immigration enforcement operations in US
The fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine, is the latest in at least nine deaths linked to the US president’s immigration crackdown. The fatal shooting of
The fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine, is the latest in at least nine deaths linked to the US president’s immigration crackdown. The fatal shooting of a motorist by an immigration agent in Maine on Monday is the latest in a series of deaths tied to United States President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. At least nine people have died during immigration enforcement operations since Trump returned to office. The government’s version of events has been repeatedly challenged by witnesses, relatives and, in some cases, video evidence. Here are the stories of those who have been in a mix of police shootings, highway collisions, and a fatal fall during an immigration raid. July 13 shooting in Biddeford, Maine An immigration agent shot dead a driver in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday after authorities said he used his vehicle against officers during an attempted arrest. Senator Angus King said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told him the man had “weaponized” his vehicle against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, prompting the officer to open fire. However, witness accounts have challenged that version of events, saying the man’s car was moving slowly in circles and did not appear to be trying to strike officers. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, while Maine State Police are assisting the state attorney general’s office, chief medical examiner’s office and federal officials. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo An immigration agent shot dead Lorenzo Salgado Araujo – a Mexican national who, his family said, had been working towards legal status in the US – during an enforcement operation in Houston, Texas, on July 7 after authorities said he tried to evade arrest. He died on the way to hospital. The Department of Homeland Security said Araujo had been targeted in the operation because he was living in the country without legal permission, and that he ignored commands and attempted to ram his vehicle into an agent who opened fire in self-defence. His son told the local Spanish-language television station Telemundo Houston that Salgado Araujo was looking for workers to hire for a construction job when he was shot.
The shooting prompted calls from immigrant rights groups and some Democratic lawmakers for an independent investigation. In several previous fatal immigration enforcement shootings, video footage has contradicted federal officers’ accounts, though no immigration officers have been charged in those cases. In the aftermath of Salgado Araujo’s death, Mexico has said it will ask the US government to open criminal investigations into the deaths of its citizens in immigration enforcement operations. Ruben Ray Martinez A federal agent shot dead Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old US citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation in South Padre Island, Texas, in March 2025, after officers stopped his vehicle during a late-night traffic stop. He died in hospital. Records detailing the shooting were not made public until nearly a year later following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by watchdog group American Oversight. Homeland Security officials said Martinez had refused orders to exit the vehicle and instead “intentionally ran over” an agent, prompting another officer to open fire through the driver’s side window. Family members said Martinez had been travelling from San Antonio to South Padre Island with his best friend to celebrate his 23rd birthday, and later said he had been trying to comply with police instructions when he was shot. Martinez’s mother said Texas Rangers investigators told her video of the incident contradicted the federal agents’ account, though authorities have declined to comment on the alleged discrepancies. Alex Pretti A Border Patrol officer shot dead Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a US citizen, during a protest against the Metro Surge immigration operation in Minneapolis on January 24. His family said he had joined the demonstration to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Federal authorities initially described Pretti as an armed agitator who posed a threat to officers. But bystander video and sworn witness statements contradicted that account, showing Pretti on the ground holding a mobile phone during the encounter. The footage appeared to show one officer removing a gun from Pretti’s waistband before another officer opened fire.
The BriefWire