ICE SHOOTINGS IN MAINE & TEXAS DUE TO PEOPLE FAILING TO STOP THEIR VEHICLES

Written by Michael Thervil

ICE SHOOTINGS IN MAINE & TEXAS DUE TO PEOPLE FAILING TO STOP THEIR VEHICLES | PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN

[ICE shooting Maine Texas] With a total number of seven people being shot and killed by American ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), there has been public outrage in several states since January last year. In the latest ICE shooting, which occurred six days from each other in Texas and Maine, suspects found themselves in roughly the same predicament, being shot while driving away from ICE Agents as they were conducting traffic stops. While many Americans are questioning and criticizing both the tactics and actions of ICE Agents, there’s one question that is seemingly being ignored; and that question is why are people failing to stop their vehicles and instead choosing to drive away from ICE Agents?

With ICE Agents now significantly reducing the number of traffic stops they are conducting, it seems that the new tactical rule being practiced by ICE will be centered around only stopping vehicles that are related to serious crime. Previously and is still the case, an ICE Agent can stop a vehicle to conduct “checks” related to a person's citizenship or immigration status and that split second decision making is required by ICE Agents on how to handle people if and when a traffic stop occurs. However, many Americans are not buying that, and they are putting significant pressure on their elected officials to do something.

While there are politicians that stand their ground defending ICE Agents and their practices, there are an increasing number of politicians such as Senator Dick Durban (D) from Illinois who are taking the position that ICE Agents “are not following the basic rules and principles when it comes to good policing”. Senator Dick Durban also went on to say “This is creating a wave of terror and fear in our country. It is interfering with the lives of people who just want to be good citizens and good people.” Despite his position, there are some detractors that would argue that as an attorney, he should understand that there is a stark difference between how local and state law enforcement agencies practice policing versus the federal government.

With an ICE Agent being involved in the shooting that led to the death of 26-year-old Colombian National Joan Sebastian Guerrero who was authorized to work in the United States. During an ICE traffic stop ICE Agents stated that “the subject attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer and was fatally shot”. In the recent case of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo who met the same demise of Joan Sebastian Guerrero on the north side of Houston, ICE Agents stated that he “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer, resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense.” Disputing the claim of ICE Agents were the passengers in the vehicle at the time of the shooting who stated that Sebastian Guerrero never weaponized his vehicle and that ICE approached his vehicle from the side.

Both of these situations go back to the question that people are beginning to ask, “why are people failing to stop their vehicles and instead choosing to drive away from ICE Agents?” while the exact number of traffic stopped conducted by ICE Agents are currently unknown, evidence points to the fact that a high volume of stops have been conducted, and the seven shootings that have occurred can be considered as less than a snapshot when compared to the entire number of traffic stops that ICE Agents conduct that never result in an Agent having to deploy lethal force methods to gain compliance from a suspect. Again, the question of the day is “why are people failing to stop their vehicles and instead choosing to drive away from ICE Agents?” we'd love to hear from you in the comments below.