Biddeford killing turns up the heat on Susan Collins
Collins backed ICE funding without new restrictions and later urged the homeland security secretary to halt non-urgent vehicle stops.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Centralmaine.com, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
Centralmaine.com is an established regional news outlet, and the author is identified as an experienced journalist. This is an explicitly labeled opinion column, so its institutional credibility does not make its arguments independent reporting.
- Source type — Established local news publisher with a regional audience.
- Author attribution — The column identifies its author, who describes a long journalism career.
- Editorial standards — The publisher is a regional newsroom, but this piece is clearly opinion rather than reported news.
The column gives a clear account of its argument and includes attributed statements from Collins and Trump. It provides little independent sourcing or opposing perspective, and several judgments are asserted by the columnist rather than supported with additional evidence.
HOW WE SCORE ↗This is an opinion column that presents the author’s case against Collins and Trump, with little space for their reasoning or other perspectives. It does quote Collins’ statement and Trump’s post, but does not develop counterarguments.
- Opinion vs reporting — The author explicitly gives personal judgments and urges readers to vote for the Democratic nominee.
- Counterarguments presented — Collins’ and Trump’s statements appear, but their reasoning is not explored.
- Source diversity — The piece relies primarily on the columnist’s account and quoted public statements.
- Loaded language — The column uses highly charged descriptions of ICE and Collins’ motives.
The column strongly criticizes Collins and Trump, uses openly condemnatory language about ICE, and urges readers to support the eventual Democratic nominee. Its framing is clearly left-leaning.
- Language tone — Uses strongly condemnatory descriptions of ICE and Collins’ conduct.
- Framing — Frames Collins’ support for Trump’s agenda as a central liability in the Senate race.
- Headline — The headline presents the killing as increasing pressure on Collins.
Republished
Republished from Portland Press Herald. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
78 stories · 77–79 · updated Oct 6, 2026
This is Portland Press Herald's own score, and this article is credited to Portland Press Herald. The host score in the Source Check is Centralmaine.com's.
Steve Collins argues that the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero has refocused Maine’s Senate race on Susan Collins’ support for Donald Trump and her response to the death. He criticizes Collins for backing ICE funding without new restrictions and says her later call for a change came only when her own political standing was at risk.
Steve Collins writes that the killing of Biddeford resident Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a federal agent has shifted attention in Maine’s Senate race toward Susan Collins’ support for Donald Trump’s agenda. He says Collins backed a $70 billion measure funding ICE for three years without new restrictions, and argues she had a chance to press for reforms but did not do so.
Collins said she called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after the killing and urged him to stop non-urgent vehicle stops; Mullin agreed. The columnist describes the call as evidence that Collins could exert influence but argues she had not used it after other deaths. He also quotes Trump objecting to the change and concludes that the Senate race is about Trump and Collins’ relationship to him.
Community verdict
11 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →U.S. senator criticized for supporting ICE funding and for her response to the Biddeford killing
President whose agenda and opposition to the change in vehicle-stop policy frame the column’s argument
Trump's version of this story ↗Homeland Security secretary who agreed to Collins’ request to cease non-urgent vehicle stops
Democratic nominee discussed in the account of Maine’s Senate race
Part of a bigger story
21 OUTLETSFollowing a fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Maine, Senator Susan Collins urged federal officials to pause non-urgent vehicle stops, facing backlash over her past votes funding the agency. Left-leaning outlets focus on local protests and portray Collins's intervention as politically motivated damage control, with Daily Kos arguing she acted to protect her reelection. Center outlets, including Reuters, emphasize the political bind the incident creates for her Senate race amid conflicting federal responses. Right-leaning outlets highlight Collins's defense of agency reforms and reject progressive criticism holding her responsible for the shooting.
- ARTICLES
- 23
- OUTLETS
- 21
- AVG CRED
- 71
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