Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reportedly telling its agents to pause most vehicle stops after ICE agents fatally shot two motorists just days apart: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine.
Several outlets reported the instruction Tuesday morning, including CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Daily Wire and Reuters — all of whom cited unnamed sources.
In a statement, ICE declined to confirm the reports.
“We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets,” a spokesperson said. “We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics.”
Several reports list exceptions for the pause, such as, in Fox News’ words, “those considered to be the most egregious targets with serious or violent criminal histories.” Or, as CNN reports: “Agents have been directed to work with partner agencies to conduct a stop if executing a criminal warrant on an individual in a vehicle.”
CNN reported the change applied to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, which is separate from another ICE branch, Homeland Security Investigations.
CBS News reported the change “will remain in place while ICE provides additional training to officers on vehicle-stop tactics,” according to its sources.
The Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring ICE to hit 2,000 arrests per day, outpacing even the daily arrest numbers from the peak of Trump’s federal occupation of the Twin Cities in January.
ICE agents fatally shot Araujo, a 52-year-old homebuilder and father of three who was working toward securing legal status in the U.S., during a vehicle stop in Houston last week. Agents alleged Araujo had tried to run them over, but witnesses at the scene reported never seeing an agent in front of his vehicle.
His family has demanded an independent investigation into his death.
Just days after Araujo’s killing, ICE agents on Monday fatally shot Guerrero in Maine. A 26-year-old Colombian national, he leaves behind a partner and a 3-year-old daughter, The Portland Press Herald reported. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that during an attempted vehicle stop, “The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon.”
Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) said Tuesday she had spoken with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and urged him to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops.
“While the investigation of the Biddeford shooting is not yet complete, it raises sufficient critical questions,” she wrote on X.
Mass protests took place across the country earlier this year in response to the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti during ICE operations in Minnesota.
The fatal shootings of Salgado Araujo and Guerrero are just the latest in a long list of people killed by immigration agents in Trump’s second term; dozens more have died in ICE custody, but no agents have been charged in the deaths.