The White House on Wednesday overturned a Department of Homeland Security directive that had temporarily halted traffic stops by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, following two fatal shootings that occurred within a week.
The reversed DHS policy had ordered ICE agents to stop pulling drivers over on Tuesday, after the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7 and Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine on Monday.
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According to official accounts, both men were unarmed and were not the intended targets, and no body cameras recorded the encounters.
President Donald Trump reversed the directive via social media, without addressing the specific fatalities.
He stated, "we must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I. C.
E.’ s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!
Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands."
The president emphasized his stance on immigration enforcement tools, asserting that restrictions would not be tolerated.
He attributed declining crime statistics to federal enforcement and repeated statements regarding border crossings during the previous administration, claiming "25,000,000 people" had crossed.
Trump urged immigration authorities to continue compiling enforcement data, saying "keep those Crime Stat Records coming."
He expressed support for officers involved in federal operations, stating they are "loved and respected in America."
He also criticized opposition party members, referring to them as "Radical Left Dumocrats."
He concluded by directing agents to remain focused on their duties: "I. C.
