Thousands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are caught in a disagreement between President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin over ICE’s ability to conduct traffic stops, all while sentiment about the president’s second DHS boss turns negative among some of the president’s closest supporters.
In the wake of two ICE-involved fatal shootings of illegal immigrants in Texas and Maine in one week, Mullin directed ICE officers to stop pursuing vehicles when attempting to make arrests. The move was announced internally by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations assistant director for field operations and took effect Tuesday morning.
Less than 24 hours later, Trump publicly undercut Mullin and demanded the traffic stops continue, stating in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning that “we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!”
Several ICE employees and two officials familiar with ICE’s internal planning told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday afternoon they had not received notice from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security to restart traffic stops and suggested the Trump administration’s vacillating response to the shootings had only caused more problems.
“We haven’t received an email saying stops have been resumed,” an ICE officer hired prior to Trump’s second term wrote in a text message.
A second officer with roughly a decade of experience confirmed he had not received updated guidance as of late Wednesday afternoon.
“Who’s in charge?” the first ICE officer asked.
