ICE limits vehicle stops and bans pursuits of fleeing drivers

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued internal rules restricting which officers may conduct vehicle stops and banning pursuits of drivers who fail to pull over, while requiring marked vehicles and activated body cameras, according to the directive described in reports published October 1. The directive, issued Wednesday by Marcos Charles, head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, says only officers who have completed specified agency training may conduct traditional and high-risk vehicle stops. Officers without the required training may assist only in a support role and cannot drive vehicles involved in a stop. The reports differ on whether the directive lists five or six qualifying courses; the available accounts do not clarify the discrepancy. Vehicles used for stops must have agency lights and sirens, and officers at the scene must wear and activate body cameras, the directive says. Officers may not pursue vehicles whose drivers do not stop. Instead, they are to record information about the vehicle for further investigation. The guidance does not prohibit vehicle stops overall. The rules also address vehicle pinning and tire-deflation devices.