On Sunday, Tom Homan, a White House Border Patrol official, defended the practice of using unmarked vehicles by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a segment on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He had a contentious exchange with host Margaret Brennan regarding whether police activated their emergency lights while pursuing a man in Houston who was later fatally shot.
Homan maintained that unmarked vehicles were crucial for officers to locate suspects, suggesting that many recent deadly incidents might have been avoided with proper compliance from individuals during stops.
“Ultimately, we’ll see how the investigation plays out, but if they had complied with the vehicle stop by federal law enforcement, they would still be alive. It’s that simple,” he stated.
Brennan voiced her concerns about the unmarked vehicle used in the incident involving Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed at the age of 52. His family believed he was being pursued by robbers rather than federal agents.
“They thought he had been robbed because the car didn’t look like it belonged to law enforcement at all,” Brennan highlighted.
In response, Homan claimed that ICE vehicles are equipped with systems that allow agents to identify themselves during traffic stops. “They had emergency lights. Lights were on. Blue lights,” he insisted, referencing his own vehicle, which also has emergency lights.
Brennan pressed Homan for evidence of his assertions, pointing out that the released video didn’t show any emergency lights, and the officers were not equipped with body cameras.
Interestingly, Homan acknowledged that he hadn’t actually seen the video of the incident.
“Alright, I haven’t seen the video yet,” he admitted.
While Homan defended his previous statements, he did mention that the vehicle was intended to have lights and sirens, though he couldn’t confirm whether they were activated during the chase.
“If they didn’t turn on the lights, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” he noted, suggesting that many police departments, like in New York City, utilize unmarked vehicles to locate individuals evading law enforcement.
He also advocated for the widespread use of body cameras, arguing that this would provide the public with an understanding of officers’ perspectives during encounters.
“I think body cameras would be the best solution,” Homan remarked, adding, “They help inform the American people about what our officers see at those critical moments.”
He mentioned that ICE is in the process of acquiring body cameras and training personnel to ensure they are used properly, making it mandatory for officers to document vehicle stops with at least one camera.
Federal officials acknowledged that Salgado was not the primary target of the operation that led to his shooting. Initially, ICE claimed that the officer acted in self-defense after Salgado’s vehicle allegedly rammed a federal vehicle, a narrative disputed by witnesses in Salgado’s van.
Just days later, another incident occurred in Biddeford, Maine, where an ICE agent fatally shot a Colombian driver, who was also not the intended target of the operation.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that shots were fired “out of fear for public safety” as the driver attempted to flee. Investigations into both shootings are still ongoing, with reports highlighting a third man, a 28-year-old Mexican national, who was struck by a tractor-trailer while fleeing from ICE in St. Augustine, Florida.
