U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered a halt to vehicle stops nationwide following two fatal shootings involving immigration officers in Texas and Maine. The directive was communicated through ICE field offices on July 13, shortly after the incident in Maine, and was followed by an agencywide memo the next morning.
On July 15, President Donald Trump directed ICE to resume vehicle stops, which appeared to reverse the previous directive. However, officials from at least four ICE regional jurisdictions reported that vehicle stops did not resume in their areas despite the president's directive.
An internal email sent on July 22 confirmed the resumption of vehicle stops with new guidelines for deportation officers. The email stated that ERO law enforcement officers are authorized to conduct vehicle stops and must coordinate with their supervisors regarding enforcement activities.
The recent shootings, which occurred just days apart, involved officers engaging with vehicles. The incidents have led to public outcry and calls for accountability from both the public and government officials. A significant concern raised was that the officers involved were not wearing body cameras during the incidents.
The new policy requires at least one officer involved in a vehicle stop to wear an activated body-worn camera. However, the rollout of these cameras is ongoing, with about half of ICE officers currently issued cameras.
Additionally, the new policy mandates that officers conducting vehicle stops must have completed ICE-administered vehicle stop training. The guidelines specify that vehicle stops may occur in cases of criminal arrests or while executing search warrants, but only when a certified member of a Special Response Team is involved.