SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — President Donald Trump reversed a brief pause on ICE vehicle stops Wednesday, less than 24 hours after his Department of Homeland Security secretary and border czar said ICE would temporarily not be stopping people in traffic stops.
Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday saying ICE vehicle stops will continue.
"We cannot give up one of ICE's most important and effective crime fighting tools, the traffic stop," Trump said. "Once we do we are playing right into the criminal's hands.'"
The reversal came after a deadly week for the agency. On Monday in Maine, ICE shot and killed a Colombian man. Last week in Houston, a Mexican man was shot and killed. The agency said officers feared for public safety in the Maine incident. In Houston, they said officers fired in self-defense. Both shootings remain under investigation.
Benjamin Prado, with Union del Barrio, a local group that conducts community patrols looking out for ICE, said he's not surprised by the quick reversal.
"Not surprising, not surprising that the suspensions would then be reversed almost immediately," Prado said.
On Tuesday, in an interview with ABC 10News, Prado said he didn't think the pause would stay in place for a longtime, and by Wednesday, it was in fact lifted.
Prado said the president's post sent a troubling message to ICE agents.
"It's a message that he sent out to ICE agents that it's OK to break the law, to undermine basic constitutional guarantees," Prado said.
In his social media post, Trump told ICE to be judicious, fair and smart, and to go back and do their very important job.
Prado said he hopes the ICE officers involved in the two deadly shootings are one day held accountable.
"We're not gonna hold our breath, but we intend to continue to document so that, uh, at some point post this administration that there will be accountability handed down," Prado said.
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