U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are now prohibited from engaging in high-speed car chases and must complete specific training before conducting vehicle stops, according to new internal guidance obtained by The Associated Press. The memo, signed by ICE Executive Associate Director Marcos D. Charles, directs officers to record license plate information for later investigation rather than pursuing vehicles that fail to pull over. This directive follows a series of incidents in which ICE agents fired weapons during traffic stops, resulting in at least four deaths and several injuries over the past year.
The guidance aims to standardize procedures for Enforcement and Removal Operations divisions after fatal shootings of drivers in Maine and Texas in July. While the White House has previously emphasized traffic stops as a key tool for crime fighting, the new rules introduce stricter safety protocols, including mandatory body camera usage and limits on who can drive pursuit vehicles.
What the Left Is Saying
Critics and civil liberties advocates have long argued that ICE's rapid hiring practices and aggressive enforcement tactics led to poorly vetted officers operating with insufficient training. The new restrictions are seen by many as a necessary step to curb the escalation of force during routine stops. Attorneys for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan man charged with assaulting an officer after being shot in Austin, have described the charges as retaliation. They argue that surveillance footage was inconclusive regarding the moment their client allegedly tried to flee, highlighting concerns about the transparency and accountability of ICE operations.
What the Right Is Saying
The Trump administration has maintained that traffic stops are one of ICE's most important and effective crime-fighting tools. President Donald Trump previously directed the agency to continue these stops despite internal pauses following the July incidents. The White House has exerted intense pressure on ICE to increase deportations, leading to record arrest numbers. In a statement, ICE leadership downplayed the memo as a routine 'guidance reminder' intended to amend prior directives from 2018 and earlier this year, affirming that vehicle stops and arrests of illegal aliens continue.
What the Numbers Show
Since last year, ICE agents have fired their guns during more than a dozen vehicle stop encounters, killing at least four people and wounding several others. The new memo specifies that only officers who have completed one of five specific agency training courses are authorized to conduct vehicle stops. Officers without this certification may participate only in a support capacity as passengers. The guidance also permits the use of 'pinning' techniques and spike strips, but only for officers with specialized training. Additionally, all field office directors must ensure that vehicles used for stops have functioning lights and sirens, and all officers on scene must wear and activate body cameras.
The Bottom Line
This shift in operational policy occurs amid heightened scrutiny of ICE's recruitment and training standards. The memo's implementation coincides with ongoing legal proceedings, including a bond hearing for Garces Perez, where testimony revealed that the officer who shot him was not wearing a body camera, while another officer involved in the pursuit had turned theirs off. The new rules seek to balance the administration's mandate for increased enforcement with the need to reduce risks to the public and officers during high-stress traffic encounters.