ICE has halted the majority of vehicle stops following two deadly shootings related to immigration enforcement
ICE has put a temporary halt to most vehicle stops following two fatal shootings involving agents, which have led to protests and increased scrutiny of immigration enforcement.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has instructed officers nationwide to halt most vehicle stops following two deadly shootings involving agents during traffic stop operations in Texas and Maine that occurred within a span of six days.
The temporary change in enforcement tactics was confirmed on Tuesday by President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who characterized the move as a short-term safety review rather than a shift in policy.
“It’s not a policy change; it’s a temporary pause,” Homan stated in an interview on Fox News. “This will be a brief evaluation to ensure that ICE agents are secure and acting appropriately.” He mentioned that officers would utilize alternative methods to execute arrests during the ongoing review.
The suspension occurred a day after an ICE agent fatally shot a Colombian national during an enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine, located approximately 24 kilometers south of Portland.
The most recent incident occurred after the fatal shooting of a Mexican national by an ICE officer who was trying to stop his vehicle in Houston, Texas, on July 7.
In both instances, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, stated that the deceased men were in the United States without legal authorization. However, officials recognized that neither individual was the intended target of the immigration operations that led to their deaths.
Authorities have yet to release body camera footage or any other video evidence related to either shooting. Additionally, they have not publicly provided evidence to support claims that the men posed an immediate threat that justified the use of deadly force.
ICE policy states that lethal force is permitted only in situations where there is an “imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death to the officer or to another person” and is “not authorized solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect.”
After the shooting on Monday, DHS reported that an ICE officer discharged their weapon when the driver tried to escape, prompting concerns for public safety. However, the department failed to clarify how the circumstances aligned with the agency’s criteria for the application of deadly force.
The two shootings have heightened examination of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, raising the death toll linked to immigration operations since January 2025 to a minimum of seven individuals.
Internal ICE data obtained by Reuters revealed a significant increase in immigration arrests in Maine, which have surged more than fourfold since early June, reaching approximately 70 arrests per day in early July.
The tragic shooting in Maine ignited protests on Monday, followed by further demonstrations on Tuesday in Maine, Boston, and Houston.
His family has identified the man killed in Maine as Johan Sebastian Duran, a 25-year-old Colombian national.
As stated on a GoFundMe page created for his family, Duran is survived by his wife and three-year-old daughter, who are now confronted with an uncertain future in his absence.
Immigration advocates stated that Duran had the authorization to work legally in the United States.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounced the murder, stating, X: “He was killed because he was perceived as an inferior being with no rights.” Petro stated that Colombia would take legal action regarding the incident.
As reported by the Portland Press Herald, Duran held two jobs, one of which was as a food delivery driver. His wife and young daughter are said to have witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.
Eyewitness Daniel Boucher, 71, recounted to Reuters that he heard noises resembling firecrackers before witnessing a white SUV crash into a smaller white car.
“I recall the victim stating, ‘But I tried to stop,’” Boucher remarked, noting that the man seemed to cease breathing shortly thereafter.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office has announced the initiation of an investigation in collaboration with state, local, and federal authorities.
The circumstances surrounding the Maine operation have raised inquiries from lawmakers.
U.S. Senator Angus King stated that the ICE agents involved were not equipped with body cameras.
Agents from DHS had been monitoring the last known address of an individual with a final removal order when they observed a vehicle departing from the residence. However, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin later informed King that the driver who was shot was not the intended target of the operation, as stated by the senator’s office.
The earlier shooting in Houston involved 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had resided in the United States without legal status for over thirty years.
DHS reported that Salgado collided with a law enforcement vehicle using his van and tried to run over an officer, who subsequently fired in self-defense.
However, the agency has not provided evidence to support that account, while three passengers traveling in Salgado’s vehicle have challenged the official version of events through their lawyer.
On Tuesday, a separate fatal incident related to ICE occurred in St. Augustine, Florida, where a man lost his life after being hit by a tractor-trailer while trying to escape what officials characterized as an encounter with federal immigration agents at a gas station.
Officials indicated that the circumstances related to that incident are still being investigated.
