Immigration authorities ordered a suspension of most traffic stops after the deaths of two Latino immigrants in Maine and Texas. However, the U.S. president urged that the operations continue.
The U.S. government ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend most vehicle stops after agents fatally shot two drivers in less than a week.
The measure, however, has directly clashed with statements from President Donald Trump, who has called for the practice to continue despite the recent incidents.
The temporary pause in traffic stops during operations was communicated to ICE agents by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials following growing criticism over the use of lethal force.
According to sources familiar with the decision, the new policy allows exceptions only when agents are executing a criminal arrest warrant or working alongside partner agencies.
Two deaths in less than a week
The policy change comes after two fatal incidents that have sparked outrage among civil rights organizations and lawmakers:
- Biddeford, Maine (July 13, 2026): Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian, died after being shot by an ICE agent. DHS argued that the driver attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon to flee, but eyewitnesses claimed the young man had said, “I tried to stop,” and that the car did not appear to be heading toward the agents.
- Houston, Texas (July 7, 2026): Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican construction worker, was killed six days earlier. He was driving a pickup truck to work when intercepted by federal agents. As in the Maine case, DHS maintained that the driver attempted to ram the officers, a version that family members and attorneys have disputed.
In the Maine case, photos of the scene showed multiple bullet impacts on the vehicle’s windshield, but authorities confirmed that the agents involved were not wearing body cameras, complicating the investigation.
Trump contradicts his own administration’s directive
Despite the internal order to suspend traffic stops to evaluate safety protocols, President Donald Trump spoke out, stating that ICE should continue conducting these stops.
This stance appears to directly contradict the directive implemented by his own administration to ease tensions and prevent further fatalities.
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, noted that investigations into the shootings must proceed, warning that “if agents acted inappropriately or illegally, they will be held accountable.”
The death of Durán Guerrero marks at least the ninth time ICE agents have used lethal force since the start of the current administration’s second term, adding to other controversial cases in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis in recent months.
