ICE Bans High-Speed Pursuits and Restricts Vehicle Stops
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued new guidance banning high-speed chases and restricting vehicle stops to specifically trained officers following several fatal shootings.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued internal guidance on September 30, 2026, prohibiting high-speed pursuits and restricting vehicle stops to officers who have completed specific agency training. Signed by Executive Associate Director Marcos D. Charles, the memo mandates that untrained officers serve only as passengers and requires the use of body-worn cameras and vehicles equipped with lights and sirens. Officers are now instructed to record vehicle information for later investigation if a driver fails to pull over, rather than engaging in chases or PIT maneuvers.
These restrictions follow a series of violent encounters since last year, including the fatal shootings of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Maine. The policy shift also coincides with a court case in Austin, Texas, where testimony revealed that officers involved in the shooting of delivery driver Wilber Rafael Garces Perez failed to use body cameras and engaged in a high-speed chase.
The guidance follows a period of internal and political tension. Earlier this summer, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered a temporary suspension of most vehicle stops, a decision later overturned by President Donald Trump. While the White House has pressured the agency to increase deportations, ICE has faced concerns regarding the training quality of new hires. An ICE spokesperson characterized the memo as a routine guidance reminder that makes no changes to how the agency conducts stops, asserting that arrests of undocumented immigrants continue.
