ICE Memo Tightens Vehicle Stop Rules in the U.S.

ICE has issued new internal rules barring its Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel from pursuing a driver at high speed when the vehicle does not stop. Agents should instead record identifying details about the vehicle and investigate afterward. The memo, signed by executive associate director Marcos D. Charles on Wednesday, also limits who may carry out roadside stops.

An agent must have finished one of five designated ICE courses before conducting a vehicle stop. Those without that preparation may ride along to provide support, but cannot drive any participating vehicle. Field office directors must also confirm that enforcement vehicles have sirens and lights that identify them as law enforcement when activated. Every agent present must wear a body camera and turn it on. Pinning a car with another vehicle or barrier remains permitted, as does using tire-deflating spike strips, but both tactics require specialized training.

The changes follow more than a dozen vehicle encounters since last year in which ICE personnel discharged firearms. At least four people died, and several others were hurt. Following deadly shootings in Maine and Texas in July, most stops were briefly paused before President Donald Trump directed ICE to continue them. For Simi Valley commuters, parents and other motorists, the policy establishes clearer requirements for the officers, vehicles and recording equipment involved in an ICE roadside encounter.

The memo arrived as a court hearing examined an Austin stop and pursuit from last month. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a delivery driver, was wounded after investigators said his driver’s-side mirror struck an officer. Testimony indicated that the shooter lacked a body camera, while another agent turned off a camera during the chase. Garces Perez now faces federal assault charges. His attorneys dispute the case, arguing that available footage did not fully show the alleged attempt to escape.