Dozens of Democratic Senators and the Independent Senator from Maine have pushed for more details from Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the agency’s vetting practices for new agents and how officers conduct vehicle pursuits.
The demands follow two deadly shootings in which ICE officers shot and killed immigrants in Houston and Maine. Last week, an ICE officer in Maine opened fire and killed a man from Colombia.
The shootings in Maine and Houston both involved ICE officers shooting at people who were in vehicles at the time. In the wake of the Maine shooting, Homeland Security temporarily stopped officers from conducting vehicle stops except in specific situations.
However, just a day later, after fierce criticism from some MAGA supporters, President Donald Trump said on social media that traffic stops should continue.Homeland Security said last week that it was adding new training in crowd-control measures, high-risk vehicle stops, live-fire exercises and medical training, in response to what they called coordinated attacks against their officers and ICE facilities.
The demands came in a letter spearheaded by Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King, signed by 38 Democratic senators and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
The Senators are demanding greater transparency from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over its recruitment practices and law enforcement procedures following two fatal shootings involving agency officers. In the letter to ICE leadership, the lawmakers called for detailed information on how the agency vets and trains new officers, as well as its policies governing vehicle pursuits and the use of force.
The Senators said that the recent shootings have raised serious questions about whether ICE’s hiring standards, officer training and operational policies adequately protect both the public and those targeted in immigration enforcement actions.
Among the information requested are details about background checks conducted on prospective ICE agents, psychological evaluations, firearms training, de-escalation instruction and ongoing professional development. The lawmakers also asked the agency to explain how it determines when officers may engage in vehicle pursuits and what safeguards are in place to minimise risks to the public.
The letter further seeks data on ICE’s internal oversight mechanisms, including how the agency investigates officer-involved shootings and reviews the use of force after critical incidents.
The lawmakers did not accuse the officers involved of wrongdoing but argued that the incidents warrant closer examination of ICE’s policies and accountability measures.
The Senators’ letter also listed new measures to increase accountability at the agency, including transparency about whether ICE considers records from family court of domestic violence or abuse when vetting new recruits.
“We remain supportive of removing dangerous convicted criminals from our communities, but this goal can and must be achieved without endangering these very communities in the process. By no stretch could either of the victims in Texas and Maine be characterized as ‘the worst of the worst,’ making these tragic deaths even more egregious. The American people deserve clarity and accountability.”
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Moreover, the Senators said that ICE should immediately start wearing uniforms or vests that clearly identify them as “ICE” instead of the more generic “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.”
Civil rights groups and advocates have often criticized ICE for not wearing uniforms or clear identification on their ballistics vests identifying them as deportation officers.
Senators also demanded to know what changes were being made to how officers conduct traffic stops and vehicle pursuits.
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