Tom Homan says Maine ICE officer should not have cleared vetting
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said Sunday that the ICE officer linked to a fatal Maine shooting should never have cleared vetting if abuse allegations against him are true. Homan told CNN an internal review is examining how the vetting process may have failed after the July 13 killing.
Key Takeaways
- Tom Homan told CNN that if reported abuse claims are factual, the officer should never have cleared vetting.
- The July 13 Biddeford, Maine, shooting killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian man.
- News outlets have identified the officer as David Brouillette; DHS has not publicly confirmed his identity.
- Homan said internal affairs is reviewing whether vetting missed red flags, calling such cases rare.
- ICE has since directed that at least one body camera record vehicle stops.
What did Tom Homan say about the Maine ICE shooting?
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Homan was asked whether someone facing the reported issues should serve as an ICE agent. “No, if those … are facts … I don’t think he should ever have cleared vetting,” he replied, according to The Guardian.
Homan framed the case as unusual across ICE’s roughly 30,000 employees, while stressing that training and vetting in this matter are under review. He said decision-makers should have been alerted if the officer had that type of history.
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Why does the vetting question matter after the Maine killing?
The shooting in Biddeford has intensified scrutiny of how ICE screens recruits amid a rapid hiring push tied to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. Politico reported that ICE’s expansion included large signing bonuses and drew hundreds of thousands of applications.
Two of Brouillette’s ex-wives have publicly described alleged abuse. One, Lucinda Brouillette, told NPR of a “persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear and control,” and said she believes he is capable of severe violence. Politico also noted reports that he once faced an order to relinquish firearms. Relatives speaking to the Associated Press cited serious mental-health struggles and violent behavior, Al Jazeera reported.
Homan said investigators are asking whether that information was available and how the process failed. “If that was factual, he would have an almost impossible time to pass vetting,” he said.
What changes has ICE announced after the shooting?
Neither the Maine shooting nor a separate fatal ICE incident in Texas earlier in July produced body-camera video from the officers involved. Homan said acting ICE director David Venturella ordered that vehicle stops include at least one body camera so the encounter is recorded.
Lawmakers have pressed for answers. Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson questioned ICE’s vetting and training of recruits. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins called it “extremely unfortunate” that the officer in her state was not using a camera and has pushed funding for body-worn devices.
House Homeland Security members were told in a closed briefing that ICE faced 56 excessive-force complaints: 32 cleared, one referred for discipline with no discipline yet handed out, and the rest still under investigation, Al Jazeera reported. DHS did not immediately comment on the internal review when asked Sunday.