politics
ICE Suspends Vehicle Stops After Two Fatal Shootings
Immigration and Customs Enforcement halted vehicle stops nationwide after two recent fatal shootings during traffic stops. The policy change was ordered by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin with support from acting ICE Director David Venturella.
Jul 14, 1:59 PM·1m read1 source
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement suspended vehicle stops across the country after two fatal shootings involving ICE officers in the past week. The directive was issued late last night by ICE official Liana Castano in an email to top supervisors. It states that vehicle stops are suspended until further notice, with exceptions only when ICE works with other police agencies on criminal suspects.
Background on the shootings The most recent incident occurred yesterday morning in Biddeford, Maine, where a 26-year-old Colombian man identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot through his windshield after attempting to drive away. DHS said the officer fired while fearing for public safety.
A week earlier in Houston, a 52-year-old Mexican construction contractor named Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed after an ICE officer said he tried to run over the officer with his vehicle. Neither man was the original target of the enforcement action.
The officer involved in the Maine shooting was hired by ICE this year from the Department of Veterans Affairs Police and has worked in federal law enforcement since 2017.
Training and policy concerns ICE has added nearly 8,000 new officers over the past nine months, with many completing a shortened 42-day training course. Veteran officials have said officers receive limited training on vehicle stops compared with most police departments.
Neither shooting involved body cameras, and no video has emerged to confirm the sequence of events. The FBI and DHS internal affairs are investigating both incidents. DHS said in a statement that it is evaluating procedures to keep officers safe. Maine Senator Susan Collins said she spoke with Mullin last night and asked him to halt non-urgent vehicle stops.
