The federal officer involved in the deadly shooting of a Colombian native in Maine is now the subject of an internal review by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, border czar Tom Homan confirmed Sunday. The review follows reporting by the Associated Press that the officer, Army veteran David Brouillette, had a history of serious mental health struggles and violent behavior, according to his relatives.
Homan said on CNN that if the allegations are true, "I don't think he should ever have cleared vetting." He added: "There's several things under review. The training is under review. I know this specific case, as far as the vetting, is under review by the internal affairs section."
According to Al Jazeera, questions about the Department of Homeland Security's hiring and deployment of thousands of new ICE officers have grown sharper following back-to-back deadly shootings of immigrants in Maine and Houston. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered a pause in vehicle stops after the Maine shooting, but President Trump quickly reversed that order and directed the stops to resume.
Homan announced that acting ICE director David Venturella has issued a new directive requiring body cameras to be in use during all vehicle stops. "Right now, on all vehicle stops, there's at least one body camera on site to record the entire event," Homan said. He said Venturella "sent an instruction out that he wants at least one body camera on those vehicle stops, so we have everything on video."
Members of Congress from both parties have pressed for answers. Democrats questioned ICE officials during a closed-door briefing for the House Homeland Security Committee last week. Lawmakers were told during the briefing that there have been 56 complaints of excessive force against ICE officers. Of those, 32 were cleared and one was referred for disciplinary action. Some lawmakers left the briefing with more questions than answers.
DHS did not respond Sunday to a request for comment about the internal review.
