U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been directed to suspend most vehicle stops during enforcement operations nationwide, except for cases involving serious criminal targets. This decision follows fatal shootings in Texas and Maine over the past week, according to multiple law enforcement sources. The suspension is temporary and will remain in effect while ICE provides additional training to officers on vehicle-stop tactics.
Vehicle stops have been a common tactic in ICE enforcement operations, allowing officers to identify and arrest targeted individuals away from their homes or workplaces. In a recent incident in Biddeford, Maine, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, attempted to flee when ICE agents tried to stop him. An officer discharged his weapon, fearing for public safety, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Guerrero was not the target of the operation but was stopped while officers were conducting surveillance on a different individual with a final order of removal.
Independent Maine Senator Angus King has called for an independent investigation into the shooting, expressing concerns about the credibility of federal investigations. He stated, "I want a full, fair, open, transparent investigation of this, not strictly run by the feds."
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins also urged DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to halt non-urgent vehicle stops, citing critical questions raised by the investigation into the Biddeford shooting.
Just days prior, in Houston, Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by ICE officers during a vehicle stop while they were looking for another person. DHS confirmed that Salgado Araujo was shot after allegedly ignoring commands and attempting to ram an officer. His family stated that he had no criminal record and was close to obtaining a work permit after living in the U.S. for over three decades without legal status.
Senator King criticized the immigration enforcement tactics of the Trump administration, stating that the premise of targeting 'the worst of the worst' is flawed, as many arrested individuals had no criminal records.