President Donald Trump has urged United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to continue using traffic stops as a key tactic, despite his administration's announcement of a temporary pause on the practice. The call comes in the wake of two fatal shootings involving ICE agents during vehicle stops within a week.

Trump, in a social media post on Wednesday, described traffic stops as one of ICE's "most important and effective Crime Fighting tools" and stated that halting them would "play right into the criminal’s hands." He encouraged officers to remain "judicious, fair and smart" in their duties.

The comments followed a statement by Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, on Tuesday that ICE was suspending most traffic stops to conduct a review. Homan characterized the pause as "short-term" and intended to ensure agent safety and adherence to proper procedures, adding that arrests would continue through other means.

This review was initiated after the fatal shooting of Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, by ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that an officer opened fire after Duran Guerrero attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon. However, a later statement indicated the officer fired out of "fearing for public safety" after Duran Guerrero tried to flee. The officers involved lacked body cameras, and the incident is under investigation by the FBI and Maine authorities.

Just six days prior, an ICE agent in Houston, Texas, fatally shot 52-year-old Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during another vehicle stop. DHS reported that the agent fired after Salgado Araujo "weaponised" his vehicle, a claim disputed by witnesses and family members.

These incidents have drawn significant attention and raised questions about the safety and effectiveness of ICE's use of traffic stops as part of its broader immigration enforcement efforts. Critics have pointed to these fatalities and other deaths tied to immigration enforcement operations.

The temporary suspension of traffic stops by ICE represents an acknowledgment of the serious concerns surrounding these operations. However, President Trump's public endorsement of the tactic suggests a potential conflict or differing priorities within his administration regarding its future use.

As investigations into both shootings continue, the broader implications for immigration enforcement policies and the safety protocols governing ICE agents remain a critical point of discussion.