White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed reporters at a briefing held in the Brady Briefing Room on July 16, 2026. She remarked that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue with vehicle stops despite recent reports suggesting a pause. The reports followed the tragic shooting of two immigrants by ICE agents earlier in July.

Senator Angus King, representing Maine, had communicated to NPR that the Department of Homeland Security was considering halting these stops. However, President Trump quickly countered these claims on the Truth Social platform. He emphasized the importance of continuing vehicle stops as a crime-fighting measure. “We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP! Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands,” he wrote.

At the press briefing, Secretary Leavitt echoed similar sentiments, confirming that vehicle stops were ongoing. “Verbal guidance has been given to all field offices across the country by the Department of Homeland Security,” she stated. She further elaborated on the necessity of such stops in deportation efforts against ‘the worst of the worst illegal alien criminals.’ The White House referred NPR to its earlier statements when asked for clarification.

In Houston, agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an immigrant from Mexico, after attempting to stop his vehicle. The DHS claims Salgado Araujo used his van as a weapon, though people in the van contest this account.

Another incident occurred in Maine, where Joan Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national, was killed by an agent. According to the DHS, Guerrero’s car tried to flee, leading an officer to shoot, but evidence remains unprovided.

In a related event, a man died in St. Augustine, Florida, on Tuesday. He was struck by a tractor-trailer while evading an ICE stop. The Florida Highway Patrol has yet to provide updates on the incident.