The ICE Shooting In Maine Sparks a ‘Hearing’ On the Matter, To the Delight of MS NOW Anchor

Last month another shooting involving ICE agents, this time in Maine, was followed by the expected outrage and calls for the disbanding of the agency. On MS NOW, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee appeared and was thanked for holding a hearing on the episode.

The shooting in July involved 25-year-old Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a Columbian resident who died on the scene. ICE agents were serving a warrant at a home for another individual when Guerrero exited the residence and got in his vehicle. Reports are that he failed to heed directions and drove off, as agents opened fire in what they deemed to be a decision for protection.

This week, politicians gathered for a hearing on the shooting, including Rep. Bennie Thompson. He appeared with Alicia Melendez on her MS NOW program On The Line, and the hostess let slip a dose of bias as she welcomed the congressman to her show.

“Thank you for this hearing,” Menendez said.

A minor slip of the lip there, to be sure, but a revealing one all the same. Thanking a politician for this hearing is a bit of bias coming through, unintentionally. It is more so the case when looking at the composite of the hearing itself.

This is not a formal Congressional meeting. What has been dubbed a “shadow hearing” is being held in the state of Maine, with select Democrats only participating. No representatives from the agency or the administration were in attendance for the hearing.

Joining Thompson was Maine Governor Janet Mills, Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree, and Biddeford’s Mayor Liam LaFountain. The slanted nature of this hearing was seen when also attending on their panel were the attorney for the Guerrero family and immigration rights activists.  

Given the one-sided composition of this group, it is evident that a balanced conclusion was not likely to be reached. But despite this nature it appears Melendez was impressed enough to bring on Bennie Thompson to MS NOW and thank him for his efforts.

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This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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