White House Confirms Continuation of ICE Vehicle Stops Amid Controversial Incidents

During a press briefing at the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2026, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed ongoing concerns regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle stops. This comes after reports indicated that these stops would be paused due to fatal incidents involving immigrants earlier in July.

Earlier in the week, the office of Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, confirmed to NPR that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) planned a policy shift. However, President Trump quickly refuted this claim on Truth Social, expressing strong opposition to halting the stops. He emphasized their importance in combating crime, stating, “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.”

Leavitt reiterated these sentiments during the press briefing, confirming that ICE vehicle stops are continuing. She noted that verbal guidance has been communicated to all field offices nationwide by DHS. She asserted, “The president and the Secretary of Homeland Security are on the same page that vehicle stops are a necessary tool that ICE agents need in order to continue their deportation campaign of the worst of the worst illegal alien criminals from our country.”

Recent incidents have raised significant questions about ICE’s practices. In Houston, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an immigrant from Mexico, was shot by ICE agents after they attempted to pull him over. DHS claimed he tried to use his van as a weapon, prompting an agent to fire, though passengers in the van contest this version of events.

In Maine, ICE agents attempted to stop Joan Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national, resulting in his fatal shooting on Monday. DHS stated that his vehicle attempted to flee, leading an officer to discharge his weapon due to public safety concerns. Yet, evidence supporting the agency’s claims remains undisclosed.

Further controversy arose in St. Augustine, Florida, when a man was fatally struck by a tractor-trailer while attempting to evade an ICE vehicle stop. The Florida Highway Patrol has yet to provide new information about the incident despite inquiries.