Holding Power Accountable. AOC is using her national platform to draw a direct line between congressional funding decisions and real-world consequences. Naming a specific senator who controls the purse strings forces a conversation many would prefer to avoid.
1D AGOUSU.S. REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
AOC to Collins: 'Blood Is On Your Hands' After Maine ICE Killing
What's the gist?
An ICE agent fatally shot Joan Sebastián Guerrero, a Colombian man with a work permit, in Biddeford, Maine on Monday. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez publicly blamed Sen. Susan Collins because the longtime Republican lawmaker "wrote the blank check" to ICE for $70 billion. She said Collins has "blood on her hands."
Context
This shooting, which took place in Guerrero's car, follows ICE-involved shooting deaths in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. While the standoff in Minneapolis triggered a government shutdown over ICE and CBP funding, Collins - as Senate Appropriations Committee chair - ultimately voted on a party-line bill to restore the $70 billion in ICE and CBP funding. She is running for re-election this year in a race where Democrats have not endorsed a candidate after allegations of sexual misconduct and racism.
Positive takes
Giving Voice to Victims. By highlighting the moment witnesses described — a toddler in Bluey pajamas watching her father be shot — AOC is making sure the human cost of immigration enforcement policy stays front and center, not just the political debate.
Timely Pressure Works. AOC's criticism came alongside real results. Within a day of the shooting and the political backlash, Collins urged DHS to halt non-urgent vehicle stops and the Trump administration agreed — suggesting that public accountability can produce concrete policy shifts.
Negative takes
Weaponizing Tragedy. Critics argue that AOC is exploiting a painful, still-unfolding incident to score political points against a vulnerable Republican incumbent, rather than waiting for a full investigation into what actually happened in Biddeford.
Ignoring Collins's Safeguards. Collins negotiated $20 million for ICE body cameras, $2 million for de-escalation training, and a 17% budget increase for independent oversight — all of which AOC largely dismisses. Opponents say that's an unfair characterization of Collins's record.
Oversimplifying a Complex Agency. AOC's framing paints all ICE funding as enabling violence, but Collins and others note ICE also investigates child exploitation, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. Critics say abolishing or defunding ICE entirely could leave serious crimes unaddressed.
— by VoiceWhat's Voice? Read this.
News sources
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null · The Independent · July 15, 2026
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Travis Andersen, Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, Anjali Huynh, Sam Brodey · The Boston Globe · July 14, 2026
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@angrydonkeynews.bsky.social · Bluesky
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ScarboroughNow · Twitter · 2026-07-15T13:54:59.563Z
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Social takes
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