President Donald Trump recently stated that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency should continue conducting vehicle stops, despite the occurrence of several fatal shootings involving ICE officers. This statement appears to contradict a temporary pause on nonemergency vehicle stops that ICE had implemented to review the incidents and assess the training of its agents.

Background on the Issue

There have been at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration agents since Trump launched his deportation campaign. At least four of those deaths involved people in vehicles. The trend has raised concerns among policing experts, who warn that shooting into moving cars presents a danger and should almost always be avoided.

In one recent incident, a 25-year-old Colombian national, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Biddeford, Maine. According to DHS, the officer feared for public safety and shot Durán Guerrero while he was attempting to flee in his vehicle. However, a witness reported that the driver’s face and head were bloody, and he heard the victim say, ‘I tried to stop.’ The incident has sparked protests and calls for reform of ICE’s enforcement tactics.

Response from Officials

Maine’s congressional delegation has demanded a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the shooting. Governor Janet Mills has also called for the reform or abolition of ICE, citing the need to end the violence and ensure public safety. The Colombian Embassy has provided consular assistance to Durán Guerrero’s family and has urged the US government to provide an explanation for the shooting.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has stated that illegal immigrants will be arrested and deported wherever they are found. Trump has also emphasized the importance of being ‘judicious, fair, and smart’ in enforcing immigration laws.

Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.