Trump Urges ICE to Resume Traffic Stops Amid Setbacks
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to start traffic stops again after the agency had abruptly halted them in most instances.
“We cannot let go of one of ICE’s most important and effective crime-fighting tools: traffic stops,” Trump stated. “Once we do that, we’re right in the hands of the criminals. Radical Left Democrats want this to get done, but it won’t happen on my watch. ICE, be thoughtful, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important work.”
During his remarks, Trump highlighted the immigration enforcement achievements of his administration while criticizing the immigration policies of former President Joe Biden.
“The men and women of ICE are doing a great job, and we have to do it. Crime is down significantly in America, in many cases at numbers not seen in decades. Sleepy Joe Biden’s open border policies have allowed 25 million people to come into our country, untested. Many of them are criminals, and we must remove them,” he added.
Trump later reassured ICE agents, saying, “Remember, you are loved and respected in America.”
This call to action follows reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had suspended traffic stops to provide additional training to officers, particularly after two fatal agent-involved shootings in a week.
Currently, the interim policy only allows vehicle stops in serious cases involving violent felony warrants or joint operations with local law enforcement.
In Texas, an ICE officer reportedly felt endangered during a vehicle stop when an illegal alien attempted to run over a police officer, who then discharged his weapon. The ICE officials involved were not wearing body cameras, but DHS indicated that this equipment is expected within the next two months.
Meanwhile, in Maine, another driver was killed after fleeing from an arrest. An ICE spokesperson contended that officers acted out of fear for public safety after the driver crashed into an ICE vehicle. The FBI is looking into that incident with local authorities.
News outlets have reported that DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin was instrumental in the decision to pause ICE traffic stops, a move that was, according to some, influenced by conversations with Maine’s congressional representatives.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) stated that she had directly urged Mullin to halt all non-emergency vehicle stops after the recent shooting in Biddeford.
However, this decision put Mullin under scrutiny from conservatives, who saw it as a sign of weakness, implying that he was capitulating to progressive pressure. They resonated with Trump’s views that traffic stops are a necessary deterrent against crime.
While Mullin expressed his support for deportation, he avoided clarifying whether ICE officers would resume conducting traffic stops.
