In response to two recent fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Texas and Maine, the agency has been instructed to immediately suspend most vehicle stops nationwide. This directive, reported by several U.S. media outlets citing anonymous law enforcement sources, exempts only those situations involving serious criminal targets. The move represents a significant shift in ICE's operational tactics, amid ongoing criticism over its use of force and growing scrutiny following multiple deaths during enforcement actions.
White House border advisor Tom Homan clarified that this halt in vehicle stops is not a permanent policy change but rather a "temporary pause." He emphasized that deportation efforts will continue despite the suspension. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under which ICE operates, declined to comment on the specifics of the suspension or tactics, stating only that the department continually evaluates procedures to ensure officer safety and to remove criminals from the streets.
Homan, who is an adviser to former President Donald Trump, told Fox News that ICE agents undergo extensive training for vehicle stops and must make split-second decisions during arrests. He described the pause as a brief measure to allow ICE leadership to conduct a short-term review of current procedures.
The directive comes amid political and public backlash. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee which oversees federal policing and immigration matters, voiced concern over what he characterized as ICE's reliance on deportation and arrest "quotas." Durbin told the BBC News Channel that these quotas may be contributing to unsafe practices and incidents of excessive force by ICE agents. He criticized ICE personnel for failing to adhere to proper policing principles, warning that their actions are instilling fear and disrupting the lives of many law-abiding residents.
The most recent fatal shooting involved an ICE agent in Biddeford, Maine, who shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man during an immigration enforcement operation. DHS stated that the officer fired "fearing for public safety" after the man attempted to flee and did not stop his vehicle when ordered. However, the department did not clarify the nature of the threat the man posed. Local authorities and neighbors have identified the man as Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Immigration advocacy groups, including the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine, condemned the killing as "devastating, enraging, and unacceptable," noting that Guerrero was authorized to work in the United States and held a Social Security number.
In a separate, related incident, a person fleeing federal immigration agents in St. Augustine, Florida, was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. This incident highlights the dangers associated with immigration enforcement encounters beyond firearm-related cases.
Just days prior, another fatal shooting occurred in Houston, Texas, involving ICE agents. On a Monday morning, ICE officers stopped and fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the United States for many years. DHS explained that the vehicle stop was triggered after agents spotted a white van carrying an individual resembling a target of a separate operation. The department stated that the officer fired in self-defense and that Araujo was not the intended target. However, passengers in the van and Araujo's family have contested the DHS account. The agency's internal watchdog has since launched an investigation into the shooting.
Both the Maine and Texas shootings have sparked protests and renewed calls for oversight and reform of ICE's enforcement methods. These incidents follow nationwide demonstrations earlier this year after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Good and Pretti, both U.S. citizens, were fatally shot during confrontations with ICE agents in January while protesting.
These developments come amid broader changes in the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. In March, President Donald Trump replaced Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. Shortly afterward, former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was also replaced. Trump's administration has pursued an aggressive deportation campaign since his return to office.
According to Reuters, since January 2025, at least seven individuals have died during immigration enforcement operations nationwide, underscoring the increasing tensions and risks associated with ICE's activities.
The recent suspension of most vehicle stops by ICE agents reflects an attempt by the agency to address concerns over officer safety and public criticism following these fatal encounters. However, the situation remains volatile, with calls from advocates and lawmakers for fundamental reforms to how immigration enforcement is conducted in the United States.