ICE suspends most vehicle enforcement stops after two fatal shootings

July 15, 2026

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has temporarily halted most vehicle stops nationwide following two fatal shootings involving agency officers in Texas and Maine, a move that marks a significant shift in enforcement tactics. The directive, which went into effect immediately, applies to Enforcement and Removal Operations, the division responsible for civil immigration arrests and deportations. Sources familiar with the decision noted the freeze is a temporary measure to allow officers to receive additional training on vehicle-stop tactics, though exceptions remain for executing criminal warrants or collaborating with local partner agencies.

The policy change follows the death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, who was shot by a federal immigration officer on Monday in Biddeford, Maine. The Department of Homeland Security stated that agents were conducting surveillance when they stopped a vehicle connected to the targeted address. According to authorities, Durán Guerrero “attempted to flee the scene”, prompting an officer to discharge his firearm, “fearing for public safety,”. While federal officials claimed Durán Guerrero was in the country illegally, local advocacy groups reported he had legal work authorization.

Monday’s shooting came less than a week after a similar incident on July 7 in Houston, Texas, where an immigration officer killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, during a separate traffic stop. Federal authorities stated that officers targeted Salgado Araujo under defensive circumstances after he allegedly disobeyed verbal commands and tried to ram his vehicle into an officer. Neither Durán Guerrero nor Salgado Araujo was the primary target of the respective enforcement actions.

Federal officials have not publicly confirmed details of the operational shift, citing safety protocols. In a statement addressing the reports, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson remarked, “We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets,” and added, “We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics.”