How a fuming Trump reversed ICE's pause on vehicle stops

Trump Reverses DHS Pause on Certain ICE Vehicle Stops

President Trump directed the reversal of a Department of Homeland Security pause on specific vehicle stops conducted by ICE agents, according to administration officials. The pause had been implemented after two fatal shootings involving ICE agents in the preceding two weeks. The directive came via a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, roughly 12 hours after DHS officials described the pause as a period for additional training review.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan were tasked with implementing the change. The pause had applied to vehicle stops of the type linked to the recent incidents. Officials stated that the goal was to ensure agents had completed updated training before resuming those operations.

The reversal occurred after internal discussions at the White House on Tuesday evening. Homan had told reporters earlier that ICE maintained an extensive training curriculum for vehicle stops and that Mullin would determine when the pause would end. By Wednesday evening, Mullin and White House officials stated that operations had resumed and that they were aligned on the policy.

Mullin posted on X that the administration wanted ICE officers to have available options for safety during enforcement of deportation priorities targeting individuals with criminal convictions. The policy change followed a period of increased immigration arrests, which the New York Times reported had reached approximately 2,000 per day during a recent surge.

Use-of-force incidents rose during these periods of heightened activity. Incidents included a fatal shooting in Chicago and another in which a woman was shot five times and survived. In Minneapolis, two U.S. citizens were fatally shot in separate encounters. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had previously set an unreached target of 3,000 arrests per day. The current pace has required some ICE personnel to work seven-day schedules while new agents complete field training.

The Maine shooting involved a new ICE recruit who had prior law enforcement experience. That incident prompted a call from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for a review of vehicle-stop procedures. Both Collins and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) reported regular contact with Mullin regarding the matter. The pause on certain stops was implemented shortly after the Maine shooting of Colombian national Joan Sebastian Guerrero.

Mullin’s approach to these incidents has differed from that of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem faced criticism from members of both parties for limited responsiveness to congressional inquiries. After earlier congressional review, primarily from Democrats, ICE lengthened its training protocol for new agents.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Mullin was implementing the president’s immigration enforcement priorities. She added that the border was secure and that deportations of individuals with criminal records were proceeding. King stated that ending the pause could lead to additional incidents and that the training review and body-camera deployment checks had been appropriate steps.

The administration has continued to conduct immigration enforcement operations while addressing training and equipment requirements for field agents.