"Paying for Bullets": Democratic Challenger Confronts Senator Over Stunning ICE Allegations in Fiery Senate Debate

Troy Jackson accused Susan Collins of paying for the bullets that killed Johan Sebastian Guerrero, sparking a fierce clash over ICE funding.

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Susan Collins and Troy Jackson clashed Tuesday evening over views on whether ICE needs to be reformed or abolished following the death of Sebastian Duran Guerrero.

As Sen. Susan Collins, D-Maine, defended her record against allegations that ICE facilitated the death of Juan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a heated debate erupted on the debate stage Tuesday evening.

Her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, argued during the three-month anniversary of the incident that Collins facilitated the fatal encounter by funding what he described as a "rogue agency."

"Look, Sen. Collins paid for the bullets and at the behest of Donald Trump. Now he wants credit for not pulling the trigger," Jackson said, referring to the roughly $70 billion in funding for immigration enforcement agencies included in the Secure America Act.

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This is the choice at this stage. "A senator who helps Donald Trump hurt Maine, then tells us how worried he is, or someone who has to pay the price before another family in Maine stands up to him."

Guerrero's shooting has become a turning point in Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, particularly in the Maine Senate race, where Democrats have used his death to highlight a broader criticism of Collins: that his occasional willingness to buck Republican majorities has not meaningfully curbed administration policies. But in Tuesday evening's debate, the third between Collins and Jackson, Collins pushed back on the narrative, arguing that his power as a Republican senator has been key to enacting a number of safeguards at an agency he says is vital to American security.

"After the Biddeford shooting, I called the Secretary of Homeland Security, [and] met with the director of the cast and suggested that they make Maine a priority to get these body-worn cameras. And they did. And every ICE agent in Maine and across the country now has body-worn cameras," Collins said Tuesday.

"I increased the budget for the independent office of the inspector general by 17 percent," Collins added.

Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, was shot and killed in Biddeford on July 13 when he fled from ICE officers in a vehicle during an operation targeting an illegal immigrant, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Guerrero was not the target of the operation.

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The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and an officer discharged his weapon due to fear for public safety. The driver of the car was hit and 911 was immediately called. At the time, DHS said in a statement that he died from his injuries.

In Jackson's estimation, the moment symbolizes what he described as agency beyond control.

"That's why I believe this agency is just a rogue agency doing the bidding of Donald Trump," Jackson said.

"I believe it's important to get rid of that and take that money and put it first to enforce existing law that people actually believe in."

Like many progressives, Jackson has argued that the agency is beyond the scope of reform and has a Democratic Socialist American (DSA) vision. The group, which backed Jackson in his gubernatorial bid earlier this year before he ran for the Senate, calls the agency "a brutal and unconstitutional agency."

Jackson shared much the same frame, similarly stating that ICE is "not legitimate law enforcement" in a debate last Thursday.

On Tuesday, he argued that the agency, while flawed, has an important role to play in American law enforcement, noting that its role overlaps with many other forms of law enforcement.

This organization investigates child trafficking, human trafficking and general exploitation of children: drug trafficking, international cartels, financial frauds. Recently helped shut down a child pornography ring in Maine. I don't think any of us want to go back to the days of completely open and uncontrolled borders. This is dangerous for us, argued Collins.

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"I think what happened is that too many ICE officers were hired and deployed without adequate vetting and training. But let's not forget the important work that ICE does, which is why, as Troy said, it needs to be reformed, not abolished."

After winning their parties' nominations, Collins and Jackson will face off in the state's general election on Nov. 3.

Elaine Malone contributed to this report.

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