ICE Officers Respond to Trump's Order on Vehicle Stops Following Shootings

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had ordered a halt to vehicle stops nationwide on July 13, 2026, following two fatal shootings involving immigration officers in Texas and Maine. This directive was communicated through ICE field offices and an agencywide memo. However, on July 15, President Donald Trump instructed ICE to resume vehicle stops, seemingly reversing the previous directive. Despite this, immigration enforcement officers in at least four regional jurisdictions did not resume vehicle stops, according to anonymous officials who spoke with The Intercept. One official stated, 'The president says one thing but in reality we all follow established policy.' Another official noted a preference for following field orders over administrative directives. Subsequently, a new policy was issued on July 22, allowing vehicle stops under revised guidelines, which require officers to coordinate with supervisors and ensure at least one officer is wearing an activated body camera during stops. The new policy aims to address issues raised by the recent shootings, where officers were not wearing functional body cameras. Additionally, the Trump administration had previously implemented an accelerated training program for ICE, which resulted in the hiring of over 12,000 new recruits and a significant reduction in training standards. The updated policy now mandates that officers conducting vehicle stops must have completed ICE-administered training.