U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been ordered to temporarily halt conducting vehicle stops nationwide in the aftermath of two fatal shootings involving the agency in Texas and Maine, according to sources familiar with the directive.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued the order, which comes after a conversation with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who had urged a cessation of non-urgent vehicle stops. The pause is intended to allow for new training on procedures for vehicle stops.

In most situations, ICE officers typically apprehend targets on foot after they leave their residences or offices. However, vehicle stops will still be employed for individuals deemed the most dangerous, according to a law enforcement source. The agency has stated that officers will receive new training related to vehicle stop protocols.

The directive follows two separate incidents that resulted in fatalities. In Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot and killed by an ICE agent. According to Sen. Angus King of Maine, agents attempted to stop the vehicle Guerrero was driving.

ICE stated that agents were conducting surveillance at the last known address of an individual with a final order of removal from the U.S. When the targeted individual departed in a vehicle, agents attempted a stop. The agency reported that the vehicle attempted to flee, and fearing for public safety, an officer discharged their weapon. The Maine Attorney General's Office indicated that the suspect attempted to flee in the vehicle toward the officer.

Guerrero, a Colombian national, was reportedly not the intended target of the operation. Sen. King informed ABC News that ICE agents had a final removal order for another man. A witness, Daniel Boucher, told ABC News that he heard the victim say, "I tried to stop," and overheard an ICE agent claim the driver tried to run him over.

Details surrounding the second fatal shooting in Texas have also emerged, with DHS confirming that the man fatally shot by a federal officer in Houston was not an ICE target. These incidents have prompted a review of ICE's operational tactics, particularly concerning vehicle stops.

The temporary halt and subsequent retraining are expected to address concerns raised by lawmakers and the public regarding the use of force during ICE operations. The full scope of the new training and the timeline for the resumption of vehicle stops remain unclear.