Trump rejects plan to halt ICE traffic stops, calls vehicle checks key to immigration crackdown
US President Donald Trump has opposed plans to scale back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) traffic stops despite a series of fatal encounters involving federal
US President Donald Trump has opposed plans to scale back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) traffic stops despite a series of fatal encounters involving federal immigration officers, arguing that the tactic remains one of the agency's most effective tools for enforcing immigration law. The comments came after administration officials reportedly instructed ICE officers to suspend most vehicle stops following two fatal shootings involving motorists in Texas and Maine, as well as the death of another man in Florida while fleeing federal agents. Trump: 'We cannot give up' traffic stops In a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (July 15), Trump criticized the reported move to suspend most traffic stops, saying it would undermine immigration enforcement. "We CANNOT give up one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!" Trump wrote. He added that ending the practice would amount to "playing right into the criminal's hands." Trump also urged immigration officers to continue carrying out their duties while remaining "judicious, fair and smart." Uncertainty over ICE policy Hours after Trump's statement, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reaffirmed that people living in the United States illegally would continue to be "arrested and deported wherever they are." However, he stopped short of confirming whether routine traffic stops would resume.
Fatal encounters spark scrutiny ICE's enforcement tactics have come under renewed criticism after three people died during encounters with federal immigration officers within a week. In Florida, authorities said a 28-year-old man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while running from immigration and other federal officers. Earlier, two motorists were fatally shot by ICE officers—one in Texas and another in Maine. Following the Maine shooting, officials familiar with the matter said ICE officers were instructed to suspend most vehicle stops while the incidents were reviewed. Concerns over use of force Since Trump intensified immigration enforcement, federal officers have fired at drivers on multiple occasions, saying moving vehicles posed an immediate threat. Policing experts have long warned that shooting at moving vehicles is inherently dangerous and should generally be avoided because of the risks to officers, passengers and bystanders. According to reports, at least 10 people have died during encounters with immigration agents since Trump's deportation campaign began, with at least four of those deaths involving vehicles.
The BriefWire