ICE Tightens Rules on Vehicle Stops Following Shootings
New guidance restricts which officers can initiate stops and requires specific equipment, a move that follows a series of deadly encounters.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued new formal guidance to its officers regarding vehicle stops, a policy update that comes after several high-profile incidents involving shootings. Sources familiar with the changes stated that the new rules aim to clarify which officers are authorized to conduct stops and what equipment is necessary.
Under the revised policy, only Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who have completed the required training are permitted to lead vehicle stops. Other officers may provide assistance but cannot be in charge of the stop unless they have undergone the relevant training. Additionally, only government-issued vehicles equipped with lights and sirens are authorized for use in conducting traffic stops.
These changes follow two fatal shootings earlier in the summer, one in Texas and another in Maine, which prompted an internal review. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had temporarily paused traffic stops for ICE officers to undergo new training. However, President Donald Trump reportedly intervened, overturning the pause shortly thereafter.
The updated guidance does not prohibit vehicle stops entirely. The new policy comes after a Venezuelan migrant, Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez, who was delivering for DoorDash, was shot by an ICE officer in Austin, Texas. Garces-Perez has been charged with assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer. According to the criminal complaint, Garces-Perez allegedly ignored orders to park his vehicle and exit, leading officers on a high-speed chase. The complaint further alleges that Garces-Perez attempted to strike an officer with his car, which led to the officer firing his weapon. Attorneys for Garces-Perez stated that a bullet remains lodged in his back.
ICE agents depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis.
ABC News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the new policy. The revised regulations were first reported by CNN.