Recent deaths of immigrants during U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have triggered a wave of criticism and pressure nationwide, forcing the agency to scrutinize its internal processes.
The trigger has been the tragic deaths by gunfire of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo (52) on July 7 in Texas, and Colombian national Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero (26) on July 13 in Maine.
Following these events, Tom Homan, the official overseeing border operations under the Donald Trump administration (known as the “border czar”), confirmed in an interview that ICE is formally reviewing its hiring and training protocols.
What exactly do these reviews entail?
ICE’s internal evaluation focuses primarily on two pillars that have been harshly questioned by former officials and civil organizations:
- Recruitment filters and background checks: The review was accelerated after it was revealed that the ICE officer who shot Durán Guerrero in Maine had recently joined the agency and had a history of violent behavior reported by his ex-wives. The agency is assessing whether its background check processes for its more than 30,000 employees are rigorous enough to prevent hiring unstable or violent personnel.
- Duration and quality of training: Various reports and former ICE academy officials have denounced that, in an effort to recruit and deploy agents at an unprecedented pace, the training program was drastically reduced (cutting hundreds of hours of vital instruction). The review seeks to determine whether agents are receiving adequate tactical and crowd-control preparation before hitting the streets.
“ICE has nearly 30,000 employees. They all go through a background check process. This is a rare case. But, I insist, the matter is under review. The training is under review,” stated Tom Homan, though he refused to admit that the agency had made “mistakes” in the deadly operations.
Will there be significant changes in operations?
Yes, immediate modifications are already being observed due to public pressure, and structural changes could be consolidated in the medium term:
- Temporary suspension of arrests during traffic stops: Amid the crisis, ICE ordered agents from its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division to temporarily suspend vehicle stops (traffic stops) as a method for arresting immigrants. Traffic stops had become one of its primary tactics but often escalated quickly into violent situations.
- Mandatory use of body cameras: Neither of the agents involved in the Texas and Maine shootings had their cameras turned on, making it difficult to clarify the facts. This situation has intensified demands from lawmakers and activists for the enforcement and strengthening of mandatory body camera policies, something Homan himself has expressed support for.
How will the immigrant community be affected?
For the immigrant community, which faces record numbers of detentions and a climate of constant persecution, these announcements generate mixed feelings:
- A tactical reprieve, but with uncertainty: The suspension of arrests during traffic stops means immigrants driving to work or taking their children to school could face a lower risk of being unexpectedly intercepted by ICE agents on public roads. However, the agency has instructed its agents to replace this tactic with “other methods of locating and arresting,” meaning operations will continue in different forms.
- Distrust in the system: Given that agency leaders insist agents did not make mistakes and blame the victims for “not obeying orders” and fleeing, pro-immigrant organizations warn that an internal review without independent oversight may be insufficient to curb the excessive use of force. The tragic case of Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, who died in Florida on July 14 after being hit by a vehicle while trying to flee an operation, underscores the level of panic that current tactics instill in the community.
In conclusion: While the review of hiring protocols and the promise of body cameras are steps toward accountability, the immigrant community will remain on high alert as long as deportation quotas and ICE’s accelerated expansion remain government priorities.
