ICE agents halt most vehicle stops following deadly shootings in Maine, Texas, sources say

ICE agents halt most vehicle stops following deadly shootings in Maine, Texas, sources say

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been instructed to immediately suspend most vehicle stops nationwide following two fatal shootings in less than a week, according to multiple law enforcement sources. The policy shift applies to the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division, which handles civil immigration arrests and removals, but does not extend to Homeland Security Investigations, the arm primarily responsible for criminal investigations.

The pause is described as temporary. Sources indicate the suspension will remain in effect until ERO officers receive additional training on vehicle-stop tactics, a process that requires approval from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

While most stops are halted, the agency will continue to use vehicle stops when targeting serious criminal offenders or those with violent criminal histories. CNN reported that agents were directed to work with partner law enforcement agencies to stop vehicles, and CBS sources noted that ERO officers can still participate in operations involving vehicle stops when collaborating with partners to target criminal suspects who are the subject of judicial warrants.

The directive follows two incidents in which agents shot and killed individuals who were not the primary targets of their operations.

On Monday, an ICE agent shot and killed Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, in Biddeford, Maine. The Department of Homeland Security stated that agents were conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal. When Guerrero attempted to flee the scene at approximately 7 a.m. ET, an officer discharged his weapon, citing fears for public safety. While Guerrero had been given an order to leave the country, the office of Maine Senator Angus King stated that Guerrero was not the intended target of the arrest warrant.

Six days prior, Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was fatally shot by ICE officers in Houston, Texas. DHS confirmed the stop began at 07:00 local time after officers observed a white van with an individual who resembled a target they were seeking. DHS alleged that Salgado Araujo ignored multiple verbal commands and attempted to ram an officer, who fired in self-defense. Salgado Araujo had no criminal record and, according to his family, had lived in the U.S. For more than three decades and was close to obtaining a work permit.

The Houston incident has been further complicated by a lack of footage; DHS told Fox News that the officers involved had not been issued body-worn cameras due to back-to-back Democrat shutdowns.

The deaths have sparked protests and political backlash. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins stated she urged Secretary Mullin to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops. Senator Angus King called for an independent investigation, arguing that the federal government lacks the credibility to run the probe via ICE or the FBI. King also criticized the administration's focus on "the worst of the worst," claiming that in Maine last winter, only 19 out of more than 200 people arrested by ICE had criminal records, meaning 90% had none.

These events follow a period of heightened tension regarding ICE tactics. The agency has faced criticism over the last year regarding excessive force, including the January 2025 deaths of U.S. Citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti during raids in Minneapolis. According to Reuters, at least seven people have been killed in immigration enforcement operations since January 2025.

The shift in policy comes as President Donald Trump pursues a campaign of mass deportations. The administration has seen recent leadership changes, including the replacement of former border patrol chief Gregory Bovino and the appointment of Markwayne Mullin as DHS Secretary, replacing Kristi Noem.

The agency's legal watchdog has opened an investigation into the Houston shooting. Both the Maine and Texas incidents remain under investigation by federal and local authorities.