Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began a review of its hiring and training protocols after three immigrant deaths during immigration operations in July intensified scrutiny over the agency's practices and the use of force by its agents.

The so-called “border czar,” Tom Homan, confirmed this Sunday that the review includes the personnel background check process, after complaints arose about the history of an agent involved in the shooting that cost the life of Colombian Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine.

In an interview with CNN, Homan stated that the case is the subject of an administrative investigation and acknowledged that authorities are seeking to determine whether red flags related to the agent were overlooked during the hiring process.

“If that is true, I don't think he should have passed the background check,” the official declared, referring to accusations of domestic violence presented by two ex-wives of the agent, who also reportedly faced a court order to hand over his firearms.

"How did the verification process fail? Did they not have that information? Did they not know about it?" Homan added.

The agent's history puts ICE under the microscope

The Department of Homeland Security has not officially revealed the identity of the agent who shot Durán Guerrero during an operation carried out on July 13 in Biddeford, Maine. According to the official version, the agents were trying to execute an immigration order when the incident occurred. However, it was later learned that Durán Guerrero, a Colombian citizen, had legal authorization to live and work in the United States and that he was not the main objective of the operation.

Videos from security cameras broadcast by different media show that the immigrant's vehicle continued to advance after the agent fired several shots. Officers later removed him from the car, handcuffed him, and administered first aid.

The case has raised new questions because the officers involved were not wearing body cameras, a tool that civil rights organizations and Democratic legislators consider essential to document these types of interventions.

Deaths increase pressure on agency

Durán Guerrero's death occurred days after the death of Mexican Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who died during another ICE operation in Texas on July 7. A week later, Mexican Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán lost his life in Florida after being run over by a truck while trying to escape an immigration operation.

Despite these cases, Homan refused to conclude that the agency made mistakes. "I wouldn't say that mistakes were made. Everything is under review. We'll see what the conclusions are," he said, although he reiterated his support for the mandatory use of body cameras by officers.

According to official figures, in June arrests made by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) exceeded 43,000, the highest number recorded since the beginning of Trump's second term in January 2025.

The review announced by Homan seeks to determine whether the current hiring and training filters are sufficient to prevent people with backgrounds incompatible with federal service from entering one of the agencies most questioned by immigrant rights organizations. The alarms about the profile of the agents coincide with an aggressive hiring campaign that began in January 2025 to comply with President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

To expand the operational force, the agency offered sign-on bonuses of up to $50,000, accumulating more than 220,000 applications. However, activists and lawmakers warned that the rapid growth led to criminal records or violent behavior being overlooked among new recruits.