ICE halts vehicle stops after agents kill two men not targeted for enforcement

ICE halts vehicle stops after agents kill two men not targeted for enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued internal directives to stop conducting vehicle stops until further notice following two fatal shootings of men who were not the targets of enforcement operations. The order applies to the agency's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division in at least three administrative regions.

The pause follows the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), neither man was the intended target of the operations that led to their deaths.

Houston and Biddeford Shootings

On July 7, agents in unmarked vehicles pursued Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old builder from Mexico, in Houston. DHS stated that officers initiated a vehicle stop after observing a white van with an individual who resembled a target. While DHS alleged Salgado Araujo weaponized his vehicle to run over an official, witnesses disputed the claim. Three men in the vehicle told their attorney that no official was in front of the van and shots were fired from the sides. Salgado Araujo had lived in the U.S. For 35 years and had no criminal history.

On Monday, July 14, an ICE agent shot and killed 26-year-old Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine. DHS stated agents were conducting surveillance on an individual with a final order of removal when a vehicle departed the residence. An officer discharged his weapon after the vehicle allegedly attempted to flee. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin later told Senator Angus King that Durán Guerrero was not the target of the operation.

Witnesses reported that Durán Guerrero told agents he tried to stop his vehicle as he was being pulled out of it. His wife and 3-year-old daughter witnessed the aftermath. Advocates stated Durán Guerrero had a social security number and was authorized to work in the U.S.

Agency Response and Internal Directives

Border czar Tom Homan told Fox News the pause is temporary while officials review the incidents and determine if training needs improvement. He noted that the pause could create difficulties, such as the need to avoid densely populated areas when making arrests.

Five ICE officials speaking to The Intercept indicated that the order was delivered through field office directors rather than written policy to avoid red tape. One official from the South stated agents have been told to either apprehend targets before they leave parking spots or follow them to a destination, such as a place of work or gas station, to avoid the dangers associated with vehicle stops.

Public and Political Outcry

The deaths have sparked protests and calls for the total removal of ICE from U.S. Streets. Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the Biddeford shooting as a murder of a Colombian, a Latin American, at the hands of the U.S. government and stated he expects a response from President Donald Trump.

Advocacy groups have condemned the agency's actions. Lauren Bonds of the National Police Accountability Project described the Maine shooting as an extrajudicial public execution, while Angelica Salas of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) called the actions state violence with the direct intent of terrorizing communities.

Investigations and Next Steps

Multiple probes are underway, including investigations by the FBI, the DHS Office of the Inspector General, the Maine attorney general, and the attorney general in Harris County, Texas. The agent involved in the Maine shooting has been placed on leave.