TL/DR –
President Donald Trump argues that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should continue traffic stops despite recent fatal shootings. He says that traffic stops are one of ICE’s most effective tools for fighting crime and removing criminals that were allowed into the country under the previous administration. This stance is at odds with a new policy to stop such activities following the shooting and killing of a Colombian driver by an ICE officer in Maine and a motorist in Houston, among other incidents.
President Trump Supports Continued ICE Traffic Stops Despite Recent Fatal Shootings
WASHINGTON — Despite recent fatal shootings linked to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) traffic stops, President Donald Trump continues to back the agency.
Trump praised ICE’s efforts on Wednesday, describing the agency as doing a “GREAT job” that must carry on.
Trump stressed the need for strength and intelligence in removing criminals, emphasizing the traffic stop as an essential crime-fighting tool.
This comes in the wake of two fatal shootings involving ICE officers and civilians, igniting criticism of the agency’s enforcement tactics. This week a Colombian driver in Maine and last week a motorist in Houston were killed by ICE officers during traffic stops.
In Florida, a third man was killed during an encounter with immigration officers this week, when he was hit by a semi truck while attempting to evade officers.
This narrative has become commonplace since the Trump’s administration’s immigration crackdown with fatal outcomes. These shootings into moving vehicles have been a cause for concern for years, with policing experts arguing they should generally be avoided due to associated dangers.
There have been at least 10 fatalities during immigration operations since the onset of Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Four of these deaths occurred in vehicles, prompting U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to call for a halt to all non-urgent vehicle stops by DHS.
Former acting director at ICE, John Sandweg, estimates that around 18 traffic-stop shootings have occurred during the Trump immigration crackdown.
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