Lead

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's border czar, said on Sunday that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in a fatal shooting in Maine should not have passed the agency's vetting process if allegations against him are true. Homan's comments came as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reviews its hiring and training practices following the shooting of a Colombian man, an incident that has intensified scrutiny of the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.

Coverage comparison

The shooting, which occurred on July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, killed 25-year-old Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. The officer involved, identified by news outlets as Army veteran David Brouillette, has not been publicly confirmed as the shooter by DHS. Since the shooting, two of Brouillette's ex-wives have publicly accused him of abuse during their relationships, according to The Guardian.

Homan, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," was asked by host Dana Bash whether someone with such allegations should be an ICE agent. "No, if those … are facts … I don't think he should ever have cleared vetting," he replied. He added that part of the ongoing investigation is determining "how … did the vetting process fail," and whether the information was available to the agency. "When they hire somebody, they put them through a vetting process and look at all that stuff," Homan said. He also noted that "several things are under review," including training and the specific vetting case, which he said was being examined by the internal affairs section.

The Associated Press reported, as cited by Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post, that Brouillette's relatives revealed he had a history of serious mental health struggles and violent behavior. One of his ex-wives, Lucinda Brouillette, described a "persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear and control" in a statement to NPR, according to The Guardian.

Key claims

  • Tom Homan said if the allegations against the ICE officer are true, he should not have cleared vetting. This was reported by Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and the South China Morning Post.
  • Homan said an internal review is underway, including of the officer's vetting and training. This was reported by Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post.
  • The officer's ex-wives accused him of abuse. This was reported by The Guardian.
  • The officer had a history of mental health struggles and violent behavior, as revealed by relatives to the Associated Press. This was reported by Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post.
  • DHS is under scrutiny for its rush to hire and deploy new ICE officers. This was reported by Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post.
  • Democrats have called for reviews of the agency's vetting process. This was reported by The Guardian.
  • Lawmakers have raised concerns about ICE's training and tactics. This was reported by The Guardian.

Perspectives

Tom Homan (Border Czar)

Homan acknowledged the allegations and said the officer should not have passed vetting if they are true, emphasizing that the vetting process is designed to catch such issues. He confirmed that an internal investigation is looking into how the process may have failed.

David Brouillette's ex-wives

Two of Brouillette's ex-wives have publicly accused him of abuse, with one describing a pattern of "abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear and control." One ex-wife said she believes he is capable of the violence involved in the shooting.