Memorial vigil held in Bideford for Colombian man killed by ICE
Hundreds of people gathered in Biddeford, Maine, to remember a man killed by ICE as participants called for justice and oversight.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he will no longer authorize most traffic stops by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a day after authorities ordered suspensions after two people were fatally shot in Maine and Texas.
“We must be strong, tough, and smart. We cannot abandon one of ICE’s most important and effective crime-fighting tools: traffic stops,” Trump wrote on social media.
“Once we do it, we’re in the hands of criminals. Radical Left Democrats want this to get done, but it won’t happen on my watch. ICE, be sensible, fair and wise, and go back and do your very important work.”
Officials ordered the stop on July 14 after ICE officers shot and killed two people during traffic stops in six days.
On Monday, July 13, ICE agents shot and killed a Colombian man in a residential neighborhood in Biddeford, Maine. On July 7, an ICE agent shot and killed a Mexican national during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas.
Both shootings sparked protests and raised questions about the tactics of federal officials carrying out the Trump administration’s massive deportation campaign. In both incidents, ICE agents shot and killed people who were not in immigration custody, but none of the agents were wearing body cameras, officials said.
In an interview with Fox News, White House Border Security Director Tom Homan described the suspension as a “short-term review to ensure the safety and correct behavior of ICE agents.”
“This is not a policy change, but a temporary suspension,” he added.
