The Department of Homeland Security has ordered all U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to stop pulling over vehicles following recent shootings in Maine and Texas.
The directive, first reported Tuesday by The Daily Wire, comes after two fatal ICE-involved shootings during vehicle stops sparked protests and renewed scrutiny of the agency's enforcement tactics.
According to The Daily Wire, three DHS sources said ICE officers nationwide have been instructed there will be "no more vehicle stops for now," with limited exceptions for cases involving criminal warrants or operations conducted alongside other law enforcement agencies.
The report said the policy could significantly affect immigration enforcement because traffic stops have long been a preferred method for arresting illegal immigrants outside their homes, where officers believe suspects may have easier access to weapons and judicial warrants are often required.
One agency source told the Wire, "Numbers are going down, we can't do sh**."
Newsmax reached out to DHS for comment and confirmation of the reported directive but did not immediately receive a response.
The reported pause follows Monday's fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine, where ICE officers attempting to stop a vehicle shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian national.
An ICE spokesperson said the driver attempted to flee, prompting an officer to fire while "fearing for public safety."
The FBI and local authorities are investigating the incident, while DHS' Office of Inspector General has been notified.
Independent Maine Sen. Angus King told CNN that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the man who was killed was not the individual ICE agents had originally intended to arrest.
The Maine shooting occurred less than a week after a fatal ICE shooting during a vehicle stop in Houston.
The Associated Press reported that acting ICE Director David Venturella confirmed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in the United States for decades, was not the agency's intended target.
DHS has maintained agents believed he resembled the suspect they were seeking and said an officer fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly rammed an ICE vehicle.
Reuters reported the two shootings have occurred amid the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement campaign and have fueled anti-ICE demonstrations in both Texas and Maine.
The AP also reported the Houston agents were not wearing body cameras, while DHS says those officers are expected to receive body-worn cameras within the next 60 days.
If confirmed, the reported suspension of routine vehicle stops would mark a significant operational shift for ICE as federal officials continue investigating both fatal encounters.