Trump opposes ICE suspension of traffic stops

By Taiwo Scholarstica

United States of America (USA), President Donald Trump has criticised the decision by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to temporarily suspend the use of traffic stops following two fatal shootings linked to immigration enforcement operations within a week.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered a halt to the practice after a Colombian national was shot and killed in Maine on Monday, while a Mexican man died during an immigration operation in Texas last week.

Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Trump argued that traffic stops remain a vital tool in law enforcement and should not be abandoned.

“We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump said in an early morning post on his Truth Social network.

“Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands. The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won’t happen on my watch. I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job.”

Trump’s border adviser, Tom Homan, also confirmed that the agency had placed a temporary pause on traffic stops. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Homan maintained that the enforcement tactic remained effective and would eventually resume.

The suspension comes amid growing scrutiny of ICE operations across the United States. The agency, which has played a central role in implementing Trump’s immigration policies, has faced criticism from rights groups and members of the public over what they describe as aggressive enforcement methods.

Human rights advocates identified the victim of the Maine shooting as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian delivery driver who was legally authorised to work in the United States. He reportedly lived with his wife and three-year-old daughter.

The incident drew condemnation from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who described the shooting as a “murder of a Latin American Colombian at the hands of the US government.”

In the Texas case, immigration officials alleged that 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado attempted to run over an ICE agent before he was shot. However, some witnesses have challenged that version of events, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The shootings have intensified debate over immigration enforcement practices and the use of force by federal agents.