White House overturns DHS halt to ICE traffic stops despite killings of two men

President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume vehicle traffic stops, effectively reversing a temporary suspension implemented by agency leadership just a day prior. The suspension was a direct response to two fatal shootings involving ICE agents within a week: one in Biddeford, Maine, and another in Houston, Texas, which sparked renewed scrutiny of the agency's enforcement tactics.

In his directive, issued on Wednesday, President Trump emphasized that traffic stops are crucial "Crime Fighting tools" for ICE and stated that he would not allow them to be halted. This move publicly contradicted his own Department of Homeland Security, which had sought to pause such operations while reviewing procedures following the deadly encounters.

The incident in Maine involved the fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national, during an attempted arrest, while Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in Houston. Both shootings raised significant questions regarding ICE's use-of-force policies and the absence of body-worn cameras on the agents involved.