U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been instructed to end most vehicle stops nationwide, in a significant policy shift effective immediately. This decision comes amid growing controversy surrounding ICE's operations, particularly after two people were killed in ICE officer-involved shootings in the last week.
A federal source revealed that ICE will continue conducting vehicle stops only for those deemed to be the most egregious targets with serious or violent criminal histories. The policy change is seen as a temporary measure, with the goal of implementing new training on vehicle stops once it is approved by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
Until now, ICE agents have commonly carried out vehicle stops as part of their regular immigration enforcement operations. However, incidents such as the recent shootings in Maine and Texas have led to increased scrutiny of the agency's methods. This Monday, an ICE agent shot and killed a man in Biddeford, Maine, leading to protests and calls for greater accountability.
According to an ICE spokesperson, the man killed in the shooting was not the intended target of the arrest warrant federal agents were executing. The agency claimed that agents were conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an individual with a final order of removal, who departed the residence in a vehicle that attempted to flee the scene.
The week before, a Mexican citizen was shot and killed in Houston after he tried to ram an ICE officer with his vehicle during a traffic stop. His family has disputed ICE's account of the shooting and called for the release of any available video evidence. Both shootings are currently under investigation by federal and local authorities.
