ICE changes course again in tweaking traffic stop and vehicle pursuit policies

Published October 1, 2026 5:53pm ET



The Trump administration has again walked back a decision to allow all Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to pull vehicles over for traffic stops, reversing course two months after initially imposing the ban and then doing away with it.

A leaked ICE memo issued Wednesday and obtained by the Washington Examiner on Thursday states that previous direction issued in July and August has been replaced with a new policy that says only officers who have completed five specific ICE training courses may conduct traditional traffic stops and high-risk or felony vehicle stops.

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