ICE bans high-speed chases, tightens traffic stop rules after shootings

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are now prohibited from engaging in high-speed vehicle pursuits under any circumstances, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Instead, officers must record vehicle information for later investigation when drivers refuse to pull over.

The guidance, signed by ICE Executive Associate Director Marcos D. Charles and dated Wednesday, also mandates that agents complete specific training before conducting any traffic stops. The policy shift follows more than a dozen shooting incidents since last year in which ICE agents fired their weapons, killing at least four people and wounding several others.

“Traffic stops are "one of the most important and effective tools ICE has to combat crime."”

In July, fatal shootings of drivers in Maine and Texas prompted a temporary pause on most vehicle stops. President Donald Trump intervened the next day via social media, ordering the agency to continue the stops and calling them one of ICE's most important crime-fighting tools.

The agency faces intense White House pressure to increase deportations, driving record arrest numbers. A rapid hiring surge last year also placed agents with deficient vetting and training into the field, according to the reports.