President Donald Trump is ordering the Department of Homeland Security to restart its tactic of arresting migrants in their cars and vans, following two episodes in which ICE officers shot migrants.
“We must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!,” he announced on Truth Social. Trump added:
Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands. The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won’t happen on my watch. I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job. Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America.
In July, ICE officers killed two migrants during street stops in Maine and Texas. The killings were a boost for business-backed pro-migration groups and their media allies, who have portrayed the migrants as innocent even though the migrants choose to work in the United States illegally.
ICE officers favor traffic stops because they allow officers to quietly arrest migrants in selected locations far from protesters or neighborhoods. The arrests are also safer, officials argue, because there is less chance of street brawls.
Pro-migration groups, however, want dramatic street fights and TV coverage of protests because they are trying to weaken public support for mass deportations.
Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin ordered a temporary halt to auto stops after the second shooting prompted a request by politicians, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
But Trump needs to implement his campaign promise to deport millions of illegal migrants — including violent criminals — especially in advance of the November 2026 midterm elections.
Mass migration is a huge economic factor that has shifted much wealth from many millions of ordinary Americans — through lower wages and higher housing costs — to investors, employers, and migrants.
