WASHINGTON, July 16 (EFE). – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday that traffic stops by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are continuing, following the deaths of two individuals during separate immigration operations in Maine and Texas.
“The Department of Homeland Security has issued verbal instructions to all regional offices across the country to continue vehicle checks,” Leavitt replied to media questions in her first appearance after giving birth.
The Press Secretary explained that “the Department of Homeland Security believes that vehicle stops are a necessary tool for ICE agents to continue their campaign to deport the worst undocumented foreign criminals from our country.”
U.S. President Donald Trump had already rejected a temporary suspension of traffic stops on Wednesday.
The deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican, on July 7 in Houston, Texas, and Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian, on July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, occurred while both were in their vehicles and immigration agents attempted to stop them.
These incidents have renewed focus on the use of force during immigration operations, as well as the lack of oversight and guarantees for citizens.
One of the key issues is the use of body-worn cameras by agents, and Leavitt assured that “more than half of ICE regional offices already have them, and the rest are expected to receive them within 60 days.”
“The deployment has been slower than we would have desired, but this is due to the Democrats’ decision to shut down DHS operations for several weeks,” the Press Secretary pointed out.
Leavitt concluded that she hoped “very soon” all regional offices in the country would have body-worn cameras.
EN 
ES 
ZH 
FR 
