- Sean P. Murphy urged lawmakers to prosecute the ICE agent involved in the fatal Biddeford shooting.
- Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was 25, had work authorization, and was the father of a three-year-old daughter.
- Maine’s investigation remains open, with no public finding on whether the shooting was legally justified.
Sean P. Murphy, a lawyer for the family of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, urged Congress to seek prosecution of the ICE agent who killed him in Biddeford, Maine. Murphy testified at a Washington, D.C., forum on September 22 about the July 13 shooting.
The event examined fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents. Murphy told lawmakers Guerrero was not the person ICE agents had set out to find.
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He also said Guerrero had no criminal history and valid work authorization. The family’s account included a detail about the child who was not in the car seat when the bullet struck.
Guerrero was 25 and the father of a 3-year-old daughter. Murphy told the forum the bullet pierced her empty car seat.
A bullet pierced the empty seat of Guerrero’s daughter
Murphy connected the bullet damage to the force that killed Guerrero. His account named the child’s seat as Dulce's car seat.
Murphy described the parallel this way. “Well, because just like bullets fired by a federal agent struck and killed Joan Sebastian, a bullet fired by a federal agent struck and pierced Dulce's car seat.”
Murphy also read a statement from Karolina Rojas Alvarez, who called for justice on behalf of herself, her daughter and her husband’s family.
Rojas Alvarez’s statement was direct. “No immigrant should be murdered in this way. On behalf of my husband's family, my daughter and myself we want justice.”
The family and Murphy have pressed for prosecution. That remains a demand, not a public charging decision.
The forum’s hosts heard Murphy describe a broader pattern
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) co-hosted the bicameral forum. The event was scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Murphy urged lawmakers to keep attention on fatal encounters involving federal agents. He argued the Biddeford shooting was not an isolated incident.
Murphy said the public should keep watching. “The goal is to continue to shine a light on what's been happening in this country, because it's critical that people understand that these aren't one off isolated occurrences.”
He continued with a broader criticism of federal policy.
“They reflect a pattern of conduct, they reflect an intentional set of policies, and none of us are safe from this.”
The forum brought the family’s case into a broader discussion of immigration enforcement. Its hosts included members of Congress from Maine, Connecticut and California.
ICE said agents were looking for someone else
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE said agents were conducting surveillance for another person who had a final order of removal. Their account said Guerrero was not the operation’s target.
ICE said Guerrero attempted to flee and that an officer fired out of concern for public safety. Murphy’s account to lawmakers emphasized Guerrero’s work authorization and lack of a criminal history.
Those statements describe different elements of the encounter, but they do not establish whether the shooting was legally justified. The state investigation had not issued a public finding.
Maine’s investigation remains open without a public finding
Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey’s office is investigating the shooting. Under state law, the office has “exclusive responsibility” for investigating homicides and any use of deadly force by a federal agent.
The investigation remained open as of the latest accounts, with no public determination on whether the shooting was legally justified. No public charging decision had been announced.
Murphy and the family want the agent prosecuted. Any prosecution or civil relief would depend on the state investigation and any parallel federal review.
Mills called for Congress to reform or abolish ICE
Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) used the killing to call on Congress to “fundamentally reform — or abolish — ICE.” On August 17, 2026, she testified before a U.S. congressional panel in Biddeford and separately made her case for reform in a public letter.
Democratic lawmakers at the September forum also called for accountability over fatal ICE shootings. Mills’s demand placed the Biddeford case within a wider push for changes to the agency.
The congressional forum took place September 22, 2026. Murphy’s testimony centered on the family’s account of the shooting and its demand for justice.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
