The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday an immediate halt to most vehicle stops during immigration operations nationwide.
This decision follows two fatal shootings that occurred within just six days in Texas and Maine.
The suspension is temporary and will remain in effect while the agency provides additional training to its agents on vehicle stop tactics.
Exceptions will be made only for cases involving targets with serious criminal backgrounds.
The most recent incident occurred on Monday in Biddeford, Maine, where an ICE agent fatally shot Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian who had a work permit, social security number, and a young daughter.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement nearly 12 hours after the event, stating that the agent fired his weapon "fearing for public safety" when Guerrero attempted to flee.
Witnesses reported that before his death, Guerrero said, "I tried to stop."
Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation. According to DHS, agents were conducting surveillance on the last known address of an immigrant with a deportation order when they tried to stop his vehicle.
The agents involved were not equipped with body cameras, leaving many questions unanswered about the incident's circumstances.
Just six days earlier, on July 7, ICE agents killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas. The 52-year-old Mexican had lived in the United States for approximately thirty years and was close to obtaining a work permit. Agents mistook him for their operation's target after spotting a similar white van.
The DHS claimed that Salgado Araujo ignored verbal commands and attempted to ram an agent, but three coworkers who witnessed the event disputed this account, stating that no agent was ever in front of the vehicle. Salgado Araujo had no criminal record.
These incidents have raised the number of people killed during ICE operations to at least seven since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to the White House and initiated his mass deportation campaign.
The political response was swift. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine contacted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, urging him to halt all non-urgent vehicle stops.
"While the investigation into the Biddeford shooting is not yet complete, it raises enough critical questions that I spoke with Secretary Mullin last night urging him to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops," Collins stated.
Independent Senator Angus King went further, demanding a completely independent investigation. "I want a full, fair, open, and transparent investigation, not one strictly led by the federal government," King told CBS News.
"Unfortunately, the federal government lacks credibility today. The people of Maine will not accept an investigation led by ICE or the FBI," he asserted.
King also questioned the core premise of the operations. "It’s a national tragedy to go through this process based on a false premise," he noted.
"Last winter, over 200 people were arrested in Maine. Nineteen had criminal records. That means 90% of those arrested had no record," he added.
Since early June, ICE arrests in Maine had more than quadrupled, reaching about 70 daily detentions by early July, according to internal agency data.
Vehicle stops had been a common tactic under the Trump administration to identify and arrest individuals away from their homes or workplaces, making this suspension a significant operational impact.
The FBI, DHS's Office of Inspector General, the Maine State Police, and the state's Attorney General are jointly investigating the Biddeford shooting. New protests were planned for Tuesday in Maine.
Impact and Investigation of Recent ICE Operations
Why did ICE suspend vehicle stops during immigration operations?
ICE suspended vehicle stops due to two recent fatal shootings in Texas and Maine, prompting a need for additional agent training on vehicle stop tactics.
What led to the Biddeford shooting incident?
In Biddeford, Maine, an ICE agent shot Joan Sebastian Guerrero fearing for public safety as Guerrero attempted to flee. Guerrero was not the operation's target, and agents were conducting surveillance on a deportation order target.
What was the reaction of local politicians to the ICE shootings?
Local politicians, including Senator Susan Collins and Senator Angus King, called for halting non-urgent vehicle stops and demanded an independent investigation into the incidents.
How have ICE operations in Maine changed recently?
Since early June, ICE arrests in Maine have more than quadrupled, reaching about 70 daily detentions by early July, according to internal data from the agency.