Homan says ICE shooting prompts vetting review

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” said Sunday that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in a fatal shooting in Maine should not have passed vetting if allegations about his past conduct are true, as federal officials review the officer’s background, training and the agency’s handling of vehicle stops.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan was asked about reports that two ex-wives of the officer had accused him of abuse. “No, if those … are facts … I don’t think he should ever have cleared vetting,” Homan said when asked whether someone with those issues should be an ICE agent.

The July 13 shooting killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian man, in Biddeford, Maine. News outlets have identified the officer as David Brouillette, an Army veteran. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not publicly confirmed his identity.

Homan said investigators are examining whether the hiring process missed relevant information. “When they hire somebody, they put them through a vetting process and look at all that stuff,” he said. “How … did the vetting process fail? Was that information not available? Did they not know?”

He said a separate administrative investigation is also underway. “Did we have that information? Did we not have that information? But the vetting process … if that was factual, he would have an almost impossible time to pass vetting,” Homan said.

Al Jazeera reported that relatives of Brouillette told The Associated Press he had a history of serious mental health struggles and violent behavior. Homan told CNN that “there’s several things under review,” adding, “The training is under review. I know this specific case, as far as the vetting, is under review by the internal affairs section.” DHS did not immediately respond Sunday to Al Jazeera’s request for comment about the internal review.

Since the shooting, two of Brouillette’s ex-wives have publicly described alleged abuse during their relationships with him. One, Lucinda Brouillette, alleged a “persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear and control.” In a statement to NPR, she said, “If you were to ask me whether I believe David Brouillette is capable of this level of violence, my answer is unequivocally yes.”

Homan declined to comment directly on the Maine case, calling it “a rare instance,” but said, “If this person had that type of history, it would have been a vetting issue, and it should have been brought to the attention of those who make those decisions.” He added: “We will see. It’s all being reviewed. We will see where it lies.”

The shooting has intensified scrutiny of ICE hiring and training as the administration seeks to expand immigration enforcement. Democrats have called for reviews of the agency’s vetting process. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said Brouillette’s alleged abusive past “directly call[s] into question the supposed vetting and training ICE does of its recruits.”

Lawmakers from both parties have also pushed for more information about ICE tactics. Al Jazeera reported that Democrats pressed ICE officials during a closed-door House Homeland Security Committee briefing last week. Lawmakers said they were told there had been 56 complaints of excessive force against ICE officers; 32 were cleared, one was referred for disciplinary action, and the rest remain under investigation. No discipline had yet been imposed, lawmakers said they were told.

Neither the Maine shooting nor another fatal ICE shooting in Texas earlier in July had body camera footage from officers. Homan said acting ICE Director David Venturella has issued a directive requiring at least one body camera during vehicle stops. “Right now, on all vehicle stops, there’s at least one body camera on site to record the entire event,” Homan said.

The Texas shooting killed Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said lab results for a white substance found in a van tested negative for narcotics or illicit drugs, despite an FBI search warrant application saying the substance appeared consistent with methamphetamine. Salgado’s family said the substance was a salt mixture used by him and his construction crew colleagues as electrolytes in extreme heat.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has pushed for body cameras and funding for the effort. She said it was “extremely unfortunate” that the officer involved in the Maine shooting was not using a camera.