A woman bends over a makeshift street side memorial, a day after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents fatally shot a driver, in Biddeford, Maine, U.S., July 14, 2026. REUTERS/CJ Gunther
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has largely suspended traffic stops following two fatal shootings by ICE agents this week.
This marks a significant policy reversal, according to CNN immigration correspondent Priscilla Alvarez.
The fatal incidents occurred during vehicle stops in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston, Texas.
Under the new guidance, ICE agents will continue conducting arrests of undocumented immigrants but must coordinate with partner agencies and local authorities rather than conducting independent traffic stops.
The suspension represents a departure from ICE's recent enforcement approach.
"This, again, is a significant development. Under pressure to ramp up immigration arrests, ICE agents have been frequently leaning on these vehicle stops, something that they really didn't use to do in the past," Alvarez explained.
"Instead, they would usually do door knocks, going to houses they had been surveilling, but recently we have been seeing an uptick in these vehicle stops."
Watch the video below.
This browser does not support the video element.