By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has temporarily suspended most vehicle stops during enforcement operations nationwide following two deadly shootings involving ICE agents in Maine and Texas. The directive was issued by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin who told the department to stop non-urgent vehicle stops following the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine.
The pause applies to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the division responsible for civil immigration arrests and removals, but does not apply to Homeland Security Investigations, which primarily handles criminal investigations. The change is expected to remain temporary while officers receive additional training on vehicle-stop procedures. ICE officers will still be allowed to conduct vehicle stops in cases involving high-priority criminal targets, judicial warrants, or when working with partner law enforcement agencies, according to sources.
Vehicle stops have been a common enforcement tactic during the Trump administration, allowing ICE officers to identify and arrest targeted individuals away from homes or workplaces. Under the temporary directive, officers are expected to rely more heavily on other methods, including surveillance and arrests conducted after individuals leave residences or workplaces.
The policy change follows two fatal shootings within six days involving ICE agents attempting vehicle stops.
In Biddeford, Maine, ICE agents were conducting surveillance related to a person with a final order of removal when they attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation. ICE officials said agents attempted to stop the vehicle after an individual matching the description of the immigration target left a residence.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the vehicle attempted to flee, and an officer fired a weapon after determining there was a threat to public safety. The Maine Attorney General’s Office said the vehicle moved toward the officer before the shooting occurred.
King has called for an independent investigation into the shooting, saying the review should not be controlled solely by federal agencies.
“I want a full, fair, open, transparent investigation of this, not strictly run by the feds,” King said. “Unfortunately, the feds don’t have the credibility today.”
The Maine shooting came less than a week after another deadly encounter in Houston, Texas. On July 7, ICE officers shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, during a vehicle stop while officers were attempting to locate another individual. DHS said officers were conducting surveillance after receiving information from law enforcement partners and stopped a white van because the driver resembled the person they were seeking.
Federal officials said Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to strike an officer with the vehicle, prompting an officer to fire in self-defense. His family said Salgado Araujo had no criminal record and had lived in the United States for more than three decades while working toward obtaining legal authorization to remain in the country.
The shootings have increased scrutiny of ICE enforcement practices, including how agents conduct stops and how officers interact with people during operations. The changes come as the agency has also faced criticism following other high-profile incidents, including enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Earlier this year, federal officials indicated a possible reduction of Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he remained skeptical until federal agents actually leave.
The operation previously included U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino as the public face of enforcement efforts in Minnesota. Bovino was later moved to another position outside the state, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was removed from her post in the weeks that followed. The agency also instructed ICE agents not to engage with protesters during operations.
North Carolina has seen increased immigration enforcement activity amid the federal crackdown and recent state-level changes. More than 6,300 immigration arrests have occurred in North Carolina since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to federal data reported by NC Local.
The state also recently expanded its cooperation requirements with ICE after lawmakers overrode Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 153, known as the “North Carolina Border Protection Act.” The law requires officers from four state agencies (the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction, and State Bureau of Investigation) to sign agreements committing to cooperate with ICE “to the fullest extent of the law.”
The law also prohibits sanctuary policies, restricts certain state-funded benefits for undocumented immigrants, prevents University of North Carolina system schools from interfering with immigration operations, and expands requirements for law enforcement agencies to notify ICE about individuals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful residents. The legislation builds on previous immigration laws passed in North Carolina, including House Bill 318 in 2025 and House Bill 10 in 2024, which require local jails to notify ICE when certain individuals in custody are suspected of being in the country unlawfully.
North Carolina does not currently operate a long-term ICE detention facility. Individuals detained in the state are typically transferred to ICE detention centers outside North Carolina, including facilities in Georgia.
