ICE suspends most vehicle stops after fatal shootings in Maine and Texas
Following two deadly ICE shootings within a week, the Trump administration ordered a pause on most vehicle stops, while protests erupted in Maine over the killing of a Colombian driver.
The Department of Homeland Security instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to halt most vehicle stops after an officer shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian driver in Biddeford, Maine, and a week earlier a similar incident occurred in Houston, Texas. The suspension allows stops only when executing a criminal warrant or in coordination with partner agencies, according to a source familiar with the policy.
Hundreds gathered outside an ICE detention center in Scarborough, Maine, to protest the Biddeford shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. Organizers demanded that ICE officers leave the state, and Maine’s congressional delegation called for a “comprehensive, transparent, and expedited investigation.”
DHS said the officer fired because he feared for public safety after the vehicle attempted to flee while officers were monitoring a residence linked to an immigration case. The agency did not provide further details, and the officer involved has been placed on leave.
The incident prompted criticism from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who labeled the shooting a targeted killing and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to explain the action. Maine Attorney General’s Office and the DHS Office of Inspector General, in cooperation with the FBI, are investigating.
Video from a nearby security camera captured the vehicle’s movements before officers blocked its path and dragged the driver from the car, but the exact moment of gunfire was not visible. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing the victim’s injuries.
Advocacy groups noted that Durán Guerrero was authorized to work in the United States and was known in the neighborhood. He is survived by his wife and young daughter.