ICE sets limits on which officers can stop vehicles
The new guidance comes after several vehicle stops ended in shootings.
October 1, 2026, 1:54 PM
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is changing its policy on which officers can stop vehicles, and what is required to do when they're stopped, according to sources familiar with the change.
Formal guidance was issued to officers this week, sources said. This comes after several high-profile vehicle stops ended in shootings.
Only those ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who have completed the relevant training may participate in the stops, according to the sources, who said others who aren't properly trained could only offer assistance, but not be the main officer in charge of the stop.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detain an individual outside a home in Danbury, Connecticut, on Aug. 27, 2026.
Vincent Alban/Reuters, FILE
In addition, only officers that have lights and sirens on their government-issued vehicles are allowed to stop cars, according to the sources.
Earlier this summer, in the wake of two back-to-back fatal shootings -- one in Texas and one in Maine -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin temporarily paused traffic stops as ICE officers were set to receive new training.
ICE agents depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis.
John Moore/Getty Images
However, President Donald Trump and others were reportedly furious about the pause, and Trump later overturned it, according to multiple sources at the time.
The new guidance doesn't prohibit vehicle stops, according to sources.
ABC News has reached out to DHS for comment on the new policy.
The new changes were first reported by CNN.
Last month, A Venezuelan migrant delivering for DoorDash was shot by an ICE officer in Austin, Texas.
Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez has been charged with assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
The criminal complaint alleges that during a traffic stop, immigration officers asked Wilber Garces-Perez "to place his vehicle in park and step out--orders which he allegedly ignored."
The complaint alleges Garces-Perez led them on a high-speed chase before one of the officers "caught up to Garces-Perez, who allegedly attempted to strike the officer with his car, causing the officer to fire his pistol."
Attorneys for Garces-Perez said he still has a bullet lodged in his back.
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