Trump orders ICE to continue traffic stops despite recent fatal shootings

President Donald Trump has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue traffic stops despite recent fatal shootings, opposing a temporary suspension of the practice following two deaths in Maine and Texas. The decision, announced via social media on July 15, 2026, reflects the administration’s stance on immigration enforcement, even as calls for accountability and reform grow.

The controversy centers on two incidents within a week. On July 7, an ICE agent in Houston fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 28-year-old Mexican national, during a traffic stop. A week later, on July 13, an ICE officer in Biddeford, Maine, shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian man, after attempting to stop his vehicle. Both men were not the intended targets of the operations, according to reports. The shootings have intensified scrutiny of ICE’s use of lethal force during traffic stops, a tactic critics argue is disproportionately dangerous and often lacks transparency.

Following the Maine shooting, Trump administration officials ordered ICE to suspend most vehicle stops on July 14, 2026. The move came after a week of escalating tensions, including a third fatality in Florida on July 14, when a 28-year-old man was killed after fleeing from immigration and other federal officers. However, Trump quickly opposed the pause, tweeting, “We CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” He reiterated the stance in a subsequent post, warning that abandoning traffic stops would “play right into the criminal’s hands.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who had initially supported the suspension, later issued a statement emphasizing that “illegal aliens will be arrested and deported wherever they are.” However, he did not explicitly confirm whether ICE officers would resume traffic stops. The administration’s internal conflict highlights the tension between law enforcement priorities and public safety concerns. Critics argue that the policy shift risks further violence, citing a pattern of fatal encounters since Trump’s immigration crackdown began. At least 10 deaths involving ICE agents have been recorded, with four of those occurring during vehicle stops.

The shootings have sparked widespread protests, particularly in Maine, where hundreds gathered to demand accountability for Durán Guerrero’s death. His family and advocates describe him as a lawful worker who had entered the U.S. In 2023 and was authorized to work. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that ICE agents were surveilling a residence linked to an individual with a final order of removal when they attempted to stop Durán Guerrero’s vehicle. The agency claimed the officer fired “fearing for public safety” after the driver allegedly attempted to flee. Questions remain about the circumstances, including whether the officer had a body camera, whether Durán Guerrero was instructed to stop, and why ICE deemed him a threat.

Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the shooting as a “targeted killing” by the U.S. Government, accusing ICE of treating undocumented immigrants as “inferior beings without rights.” Similar criticisms have emerged from U.S. Lawmakers, including Maine Senator Susan Collins, who urged DHS to halt non-urgent vehicle stops. Meanwhile, ICE’s enforcement tactics have drawn scrutiny for their lack of body cameras and inconsistent justifications for lethal force. In Houston, witnesses disputed the agency’s claim that Salgado Araujo had attempted to run over officers, while in Maine, bystander footage suggested the driver had tried to stop before being shot.

Trump’s reversal of the suspension has drawn sharp rebukes from civil rights groups and immigrant advocates. Lauren Bonds of the National Police Accountability Project called the shootings “extrajudicial killings,” while Angelica Salas of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights accused ICE of “state violence with the direct intent of terrorizing communities.” The president, however, framed the issue as a matter of public safety, insisting that ICE’s work “has to be done.”

As investigations into the shootings continue, the debate over ICE’s role in U.S. Immigration enforcement remains unresolved. The agency’s spokesperson emphasized that it “will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics,” leaving many questions unanswered. For now, Trump’s directive ensures that traffic stops will remain a central tool in the administration’s deportation strategy, even as the human cost of the policy becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.