The Trump administration has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend most vehicle stops following two fatal shootings by officers within one week. The directive, confirmed Tuesday by sources familiar with the decision and the office of Senator Angus King, allows for exceptions when officers are executing criminal warrants or collaborating with partner agencies.
The order follows a July 13 incident in Biddeford, Maine, where an ICE officer shot and killed 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officers were conducting surveillance for a different individual when they attempted to stop Durán Guerrero’s vehicle. DHS stated the officer fired after the vehicle attempted to flee; Senator King reported being told the driver attempted to use the vehicle as a weapon.
In a separate incident one week prior, an ICE officer fatally shot a motorist in Houston, Texas. The Maine shooting has prompted protests in Scarborough and a call for a transparent investigation from the state's congressional delegation. Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro characterized the event as a targeted killing, while ICE stated it is evaluating procedures to ensure officer and public safety.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DHS Office of Inspector General are investigating the Maine shooting in coordination with the state attorney general’s office. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave. Security footage from the scene showed law enforcement officers removing a body from the vehicle, though the timing of the shots was not captured on film.