US President Donald Trump has rejected proposals to reduce Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stops, despite recent fatal incidents involving federal officers. He maintains that such stops are among the agency’s most effective methods for upholding immigration laws.
The remarks followed reports that officials directed ICE agents to pause most vehicle stops after two fatal shootings in Texas and Maine, plus another death in Florida during an attempt to evade agents.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump opposed limiting the practice, calling it essential for crime prevention. He warned that abandoning it would favor criminals and urged agents to proceed with care, fairness and sound judgment.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin later stated that individuals in the country illegally would still face arrest and removal, though he did not confirm resumption of routine stops.
The incidents have drawn fresh attention to ICE tactics. Three deaths occurred in one week, including a Florida man struck by a truck while fleeing officers and two drivers shot in Texas and Maine.
Experts have cautioned against firing at moving vehicles due to risks to all involved. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents since the start of the current deportation efforts, with four involving vehicles.
In the Maine case, the victim was identified as 25-year-old Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who entered the US illegally in 2023. Officials said an officer fired after the driver attempted to flee a surveillance site. The agents lacked body cameras, and questions remain about the shooting.
ICE faces pressure to increase arrests, with traffic stops becoming a key approach as many targeted individuals stay indoors.
