ICE vehicle stops have come to an abrupt nationwide halt after two fatal shootings just six days apart pushed the agency to rethink one of its most controversial arrest tactics. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has instructed officers to suspend most traffic stops across the country following the deaths of two men in Maine and Texas, marking a major turning point in how the agency carries out immigration enforcement.

The decision arrives against a backdrop of mounting public anger. Earlier this year, the killing of two US citizens triggered widespread protests, and these latest deaths have only deepened the outrage. Here’s a closer look at what happened and why it matters.

The Deadly Stop in Maine

On Monday, an ICE agent shot and killed a driver in Biddeford, a coastal town in Maine roughly 24 kilometres south of Portland. The victim was Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, officers were watching the home of someone they believed was living in the country illegally and facing a final removal order. When a car left the residence, agents attempted a stop. DHS said the driver tried to flee, and an officer, described as “fearing for public safety,” opened fire.

The scene, as described by a neighbour, was chaotic and disturbing. Daniel Boucher, 71, said he was inside his second-floor apartment when he heard what sounded like firecrackers. Rushing to the window, he saw a white SUV slam into a smaller white car. He recalled hearing the wounded man say he had tried to stop, moments before the driver appeared to stop breathing.

Immigration advocates painted a very different picture of the victim than the one implied by the operation. They said he was authorised to work in the US and held a Social Security number. Some friends, neighbours, and advocacy groups have spelled his first name as “Joan.” The day after the shooting, hundreds of people gathered to protest outside a nearby ICE detention centre.

Outrage in Texas After a Longtime Resident’s Death

Less than a week earlier, on July 7, a similar tragedy unfolded in Houston. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, was shot and killed by an ICE officer while driving his construction crew to a worksite.

Salgado Araujo had lived in the US for 35 years and had no criminal record. DHS claimed he rammed an ICE vehicle and that an agent fired in self-defence. Notably, officials said he was not even the target of the operation that ended his life.

His family strongly rejects the official account and is demanding an independent investigation. They say lawyers helping him apply for a work permit had coached him on how to respond if immigration agents ever stopped him, and that he was close to securing legal status when he died. The family also believes he may have been frightened, suspecting that the unmarked vehicles following him were thieves after his van and tools.

The response was immediate and loud. More than a thousand protesters marched near the scene chanting “ICE out of Houston,” carrying signs reading “Stand with immigrants” and “ICE Melts in Texas.”

A Pattern of Deadly Force

ICE is responsible for enforcing US immigration laws and arresting people it believes are in the country without authorisation. But the Maine shooting marked at least the ninth time the agency has used deadly force since President Donald Trump launched his immigration crackdown in January 2025.

Trump, who took office on January 20, has repeatedly framed reducing illegal immigration as his top priority, arguing that the effort strengthens national security. Yet questions about accountability continue to swirl. In both the Maine and Texas shootings, officers were not wearing body cameras, even though DHS had announced months earlier that all officers would be equipped with them.

How Minneapolis Set the Stage

The current tensions didn’t emerge in isolation. Earlier this year, two US citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, sparking a wave of demonstrations.

On January 7, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in her car. She had been serving as a legal observer, monitoring an ICE operation. Weeks later, on January 24, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti during street protests. Officials described him as an armed man who provoked violence, but bystander videos appeared to show him holding only a phone.

Faced with intense backlash, the Trump administration announced in February that it would end its deportation surge in Minnesota and pivot toward more targeted enforcement rather than sweeping mass operations.

International Backlash Grows

The latest shootings have drawn sharp criticism from beyond US borders. Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has clashed publicly with Trump, called Guerrero’s death a targeted killing carried out by the US government. He demanded an explanation and accused ICE officers of treating the victim as though he were beneath basic human rights.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has gone a step further, announcing plans to file criminal complaints in the US over Mexican citizens who have died in immigration custody or during anti-immigration operations. She insisted her government could not ignore the growing number of Mexican lives lost.

What Comes Next

The suspension of ICE vehicle stops represents one of the most significant tactical retreats the agency has made since the crackdown began. Whether it signals a lasting shift in strategy or a temporary pause to quiet public anger remains uncertain. For grieving families, protesters filling the streets, and foreign governments demanding answers, the pressure on ICE and the administration behind it shows no sign of fading.