ICE Bans High-Speed Chases Following Fatal Traffic Stop Shootings

The internal memo mandates that officers must cease pursuits immediately if a driver refuses to pull over, shifting focus toward collecting vehicle information for later investigation. This policy adjustment arrives amid heightened scrutiny over the agency’s rapid hiring practices and the escalating violence associated with traffic enforcement. Under the new rules, only personnel who have completed one of five specific agency-sanctioned training courses are authorized to initiate vehicle stops. Those lacking the required certification are restricted to a support capacity, barred from operating patrol vehicles during such stops.

Operational standards now require that all vehicles utilized for stops be equipped with functioning lights and sirens. Furthermore, officers are strictly required to wear and activate body-worn cameras throughout these interactions. While the agency continues to permit controversial tactics like vehicle pinning and the use of spike strips, these maneuvers are now limited exclusively to agents who have received specialized instruction. The memo functions as a corrective measure following recent incidents, including an Austin-based pursuit where testimony revealed that participating officers failed to use body cameras and engaged in high-speed maneuvers through residential areas, actions that would now explicitly violate agency protocol.