WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has temporarily suspended most immigration-related vehicle stops nationwide following two fatal officer-involved shootings in Texas and Maine, according to two sources briefed on the matter, marking a significant operational change amid the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement campaign.
The directive follows the fatal shooting on July 13 of a 26-year-old Colombian man during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine. The Department of Homeland Security said the officer opened fire after the driver attempted to flee, adding that the officer acted out of concern for public safety. DHS has not publicly detailed how the circumstances met the agency's standard for the use of deadly force.
The Maine incident came less than a week after another fatal ICE shooting during an enforcement operation in Houston. Both incidents are under investigation, and the officer involved in the Maine shooting has been placed on administrative leave, according to U.S. officials.
Sources said the temporary policy will halt most routine vehicle stops while ICE provides additional training on vehicle-stop tactics. Exceptions will remain for operations involving high-priority or serious criminal targets, according to people familiar with the directive.
The policy shift affects a tactic that has been widely used during the administration's expanded immigration enforcement operations to arrest individuals away from homes and workplaces. The precise duration of the suspension has not been announced.
Federal and state investigations into the shootings remain ongoing, and authorities have not released additional findings. Officials have said further information will be provided as the investigations progress.
