President Donald Trump reversed a Homeland Security Department pause on Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle stops Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the policy change was announced. The president declared that ending the stops would be "playing right into the criminal's hands" and insisted ICE retain what he called one of its "most important and effective Crime Fighting tools."
Trump's directive came after multiple ICE sources told Fox News that agents nationwide had been instructed Tuesday to cease most vehicle stops. The pause represented a major operational shift. Under the temporary policy, agents were told to end all vehicle stops except for targets with serious or violent criminal histories. The suspension was indefinite, pending new vehicle stop training approved by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The Enforcement Reversal
The White House confirmed to Fox News that Trump had overturned the pause. "We CANNOT give up one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!" Trump wrote on his social media platform. He added that "The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won't happen on my watch," instructing ICE to "be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job."
Secretary Mullin said people illegally in the country would be "arrested and deported wherever they are." He later stated he and Trump "are on the same page," adding that they wanted ICE officers "to have all options available to keep them safe while executing our mission." It wasn't immediately clear whether ICE would quickly reverse course and resume most stops following Trump's directive.
Fatal Encounters and Criticism
The original pause followed three deaths during encounters with federal officers within a week. In Florida, a 28-year-old man was killed Tuesday after he was hit by a tractor trailer while running from immigration and other federal officers. Two motorists were shot and killed by ICE officers—Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7 and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, in Maine on Monday.
At least 10 deaths have involved encounters with immigration agents since Trump launched his deportation campaign. Four of them involved people in vehicles. One senior ICE source told Fox News the pause was "horrible but needs to happen."
The Maine Incident
Hundreds gathered Tuesday to remember Durán Guerrero, with more protests planned. His partner Karolina Rojas, mother of their young daughter, wrote on Instagram: "I love you, my darling, my life. I love you. I have no words for this pain. You were my everything. Please watch over me. Help me find the strength to carry on."
Durán Guerrero illegally entered the U.S. on Sept. 1, 2023, through the southern border, according to DHS. Advocacy groups said he was authorized to work in the U.S. when he was killed. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said the Homeland Security secretary told him Monday that ICE officers were in Biddeford to serve an arrest warrant but that it wasn't for the person who was shot.
When ICE tried to stop a vehicle driven by someone who came from a home under surveillance, the "vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon," according to the department. DHS said Guerrero was released into the U.S. after crossing the border. The department didn't answer questions about the agent who shot him. Photos showed bullet holes in Durán Guerrero's car windshield, but the officers involved didn't have body cameras, leaving many questions.
Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine urged Department of Homeland Security leaders "to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops." Maine's Democratic governor, Janet Mills, said ICE should be scrapped as a federal agency if it can't be fixed, and said Wednesday that the agency needs changes "before more families are robbed of a loved one."
The Houston Case
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state's top law enforcement unit would investigate the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. DHS's account of the July 7 shooting is disputed by three other men who were riding in a van with Salgado Araujo at the time. A public viewing for Salgado Araujo, a homebuilder from Mexico, was set for Thursday in Houston.
New court records showed the FBI is investigating whether drugs were found in the van, according to a search warrant application signed by a federal judge Tuesday. FBI special agent David McNeilly said in an affidavit that he observed four plastic bags of a white substance appearing to be meth inside the van. DHS has not stated that suspected drugs were the reason ICE officers engaged in the traffic stop. The FBI referred questions about the search warrant to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ACLU of Texas, which is providing legal representation for Salgado Araujo's family, said the Trump administration "lacks credibility" to investigate itself.
Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the shooting of Durán Guerrero in Maine a targeted killing "at the hands of the U.S. government." Border czar Tom Homan told reporters that the investigation needs to play out and that officers will be held accountable if they are found to have acted inappropriately or illegally.
Why This Matters:
The rapid reversal of ICE vehicle stop policy exposes the tension between operational security and enforcement effectiveness in immigration control. Trump's intervention preserves a critical tool for apprehending individuals who've entered the country illegally, but it comes amid legitimate questions about training, accountability, and the use of force. The absence of body cameras in the Maine incident and disputed accounts in the Houston case underscore the need for transparency in federal law enforcement operations. The discovery of suspected methamphetamine in the Houston van raises questions about whether these encounters involve more than immigration violations. For communities concerned about rule of law and public safety, the challenge is maintaining robust enforcement while ensuring officers operate within clear guidelines that protect both agents and the public they serve.