ICE agents have been given new orders to stop engaging with "agitators" as they carry out President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
The new guidance marks a change in the broad sweeps that have provoked clashes that have resulted in a pair of fatal shootings in Minnesota, and the directive also orders U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to target only immigrants who have criminal charges or convictions, reported Reuters.
"DO NOT COMMUNICATE OR ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS," said an email circulated by a top ICE official. "It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands."
The president announced earlier this week he intended to "de-escalate" tensions in the Minneapolis area following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month, and Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino was demoted and sent back to Southern California.
The updated guidance, which came from Marcos Charles, the top official in ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division, said officers would receive megaphones to issue commands and directed them to "verbalize every step of the arrest process."
"We are moving to targeted enforcement of aliens with a criminal history," the email said. "This includes arrests, not just convictions. ALL TARGETS MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL NEXUS."
ICE officers had been required to focus on serious criminals under former President Joe Biden, but the Trump administration rolled back that policy and allowed them to arrest non-criminals without restrictions.
"There are ongoing conversations on how to most effectively conduct operations in Minnesota," an administration official told Reuters. "No guidance should be considered final until it is officially issued."
