The White House has confirmed that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle checkpoints will continue operating across the United States, dispelling any uncertainty about the continuation of a tactic that has resulted in at least three fatalities within a span of less than two weeks.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the ongoing vehicular operations, highlighting that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has communicated verbal instructions to all field offices nationwide to sustain this strategy.
"The vehicle stops are ongoing. The Department of Homeland Security has provided verbal guidance to all field offices across the nation. Both the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security agree: vehicle checkpoints are a crucial tool that ICE agents require to advance their campaign to deport the worst illegal criminals in the country," Leavitt stated.
This confirmation follows a tense week marked by three deaths during immigration operations.
On July 7, ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas. A 52-year-old Mexican resident with nearly 35 years in the U.S. and father to three American citizens, Araujo was mistaken for the operation's target. His family bid him farewell in a private funeral featuring mariachis and rancheras.
On July 13, another agent shot and killed Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, a 26-year-old Colombian with a valid work permit and Social Security number, and father to a three-year-old daughter. He was not the intended target of the operation.
The next day, on July 14, a 28-year-old man died after being struck by a semi-trailer in St. Augustine, Florida, while fleeing ICE agents on foot.
None of the agents involved in the shootings were equipped with body cameras at the time of the incidents.
Amid public pressure, the DHS issued a memorandum on July 14 temporarily halting the vehicle stops, but the pause lasted less than 48 hours.
President Donald Trump rescinded the suspension on July 15 via Truth Social, and the DHS subsequently voided the internal memo, resuming vehicle arrests with a new stipulation: at least one agent per arrest team must have an active body camera.
Regarding the status of this equipment, Leavitt noted that over half of ICE's field offices are already equipped with body cameras, with the remainder expected to receive them within approximately 60 days, around mid-September.
She attributed the delay to "the Democrats' decision to shut down the DHS for several weeks."
The DHS has approved $20 million for the implementation of the body camera program for ICE agents.
Since the start of the mass deportation campaign, at least ten individuals have died during immigration operations, with at least four of these cases involving individuals in vehicles.
The mortality rate under ICE's custody reached 88.9 deaths per 100,000 detainees in the fiscal year 2026, the highest level in 22 years.
On July 13, 45-year-old Venezuelan Jesús Manuel Arenas Silva died while in ICE custody during a bus transfer between detention centers in Georgia, raising the number of migrant deaths in custody to 22 so far in 2026.
The agent involved in the Maine shooting has been suspended, and both the FBI and the DHS Office of Inspector General are investigating the cases in Texas and Maine.
Key Questions About ICE Vehicle Stops and Recent Incidents
Why are ICE vehicle stops continuing?
The Trump administration has confirmed that ICE vehicle stops are a crucial tool for deporting illegal criminals, and they will continue as per guidance from the Department of Homeland Security.
What are the recent incidents involving ICE vehicle stops?
Recent incidents include the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine, and a 28-year-old man in Florida during ICE operations.
What measures are being taken to prevent further incidents?
To prevent further incidents, the DHS now requires at least one agent per arrest team to wear an active body camera during operations.