DHS reportedly orders ICE to stop vehicle enforcement stops after two fatal shootings

The Department of Homeland Security reportedly ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to stop vehicle-related enforcement stops on Tuesday, following two fatal shootings tied to traffic stops, according to multiple media reports.

The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that DHS did not directly answer a question about whether the change was a new nationwide order. A spokesperson said the agency is always reviewing procedures to keep officers safe and criminals off the streets, but would not discuss law-enforcement tactics.

The reported change followed the killing of two men in their vehicles. ICE officers killed a 26-year-old Colombian man with legal status in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, according to the report. DHS said neither man was an initial person of interest for immigration enforcement. A separate shooting in Houston on July 7 left 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, dead during a traffic stop, the report said.

The article said federal immigration enforcement has been aggressive across the country as the Trump administration seeks mass deportations. It also cited an investigation by the Guardian that counted at least 21 shootings involving federal immigration agents before the Maine incident, with at least 10 of those deadly.

The congressional response was swift. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, said on social media that she spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday night and urged him to stop non-urgent vehicle stops. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus also condemned the shootings and called for congressional oversight. Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, the caucus chair, said, “Here we are again, a brown man, a Latino, killed,” according to the report.

For families affected by a deadly encounter with law enforcement, records can matter quickly. That can include incident reports, witness names, medical records, and any available video. If a crash or stop leads to serious injury or death, those materials can shape later insurance and wrongful death questions.