ABC and NBC News reported Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has directed officers to temporarily suspend vehicle stops as senior officials evaluate current enforcement operations. Both outlets cited sources familiar with the directive.
In most cases, ABC News reports that ICE officers will stop a target on the street once they leave their house or office, but ICE will still use vehicle stops in cases involving the most dangerous targets, according to a source.
The reported policy change comes a week after ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado during a traffic stop in Houston, an incident that has become the focus of multiple investigations and prompted growing criticism from local, state and federal leaders.
As Chron previously reported, federal officials initially said Salgado had “weaponized” his work van and attempted to run over an ICE agent. But the three surviving men who were inside the van have since disputed that account in interviews from immigration detention, telling The Washington Post the driver never attempted to strike agents and that officers began firing from the sides of the vehicle.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has since called for an independent investigation, saying the city owes Salgado’s family “a transparent accounting” of what happened. Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz has also said the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General are leading the investigation because the shooting involved federal agents.
It’s unclear how long the temporary pause will be in effect for and whether the temporary directive is directly tied to the Houston shooting, although the reported change comes amid heightened scrutiny of the agency’s tactics following Salgado’s death.
An ICE spokesperson was unable to share specifics.
“We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets,” ICE told Chron in an emailed statement. “We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics.”