The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly instructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers across the country to temporarily stop conducting routine vehicle stops following two fatal shootings involving ICE agents in Texas and Maine. The move, if confirmed, represents a major change in the agency’s enforcement strategy as both incidents remain under investigation.

The Daily Wire first reported the directive on Tuesday, saying it was issued in response to the recent fatal encounters, which have prompted protests and intensified criticism of ICE’s enforcement methods.

According to the report, three Department of Homeland Security sources said ICE personnel nationwide have been told there will be “no more vehicle stops for now,” except in limited circumstances, such as when executing criminal warrants or participating in joint operations with other law enforcement agencies.

The reported policy change could have a substantial impact on immigration enforcement. Traffic stops have long been one of ICE’s primary methods for apprehending illegal immigrants away from their residences, where agents often face greater legal hurdles and believe suspects may have easier access to weapons.

One agency source told the Wire, “Numbers are going down, we can’t do [anything].”

Newsmax contacted the Department of Homeland Security seeking confirmation and comment regarding the reported directive but had not received a response as of publication.

The reported order follows Monday’s deadly confrontation in Biddeford, Maine, where ICE agents fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian national during an attempted vehicle stop.

According to an ICE spokesperson, the driver tried to flee the scene, leading one officer to open fire while “fearing for public safety.”

Federal and local investigators, including the FBI, are reviewing the shooting, and DHS said its Office of Inspector General has also been notified of the incident.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, told CNN that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that the man who was killed was not the person ICE agents had originally set out to arrest.

The Maine shooting came just days after another fatal ICE-related shooting during a traffic stop in Houston.

According to The Associated Press, acting ICE Director David Venturella acknowledged that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in the United States for many years, was not the individual agents had intended to apprehend.

DHS has said officers believed Salgado Araujo matched the description of the suspect they were pursuing. The department also stated that an agent fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly rammed an ICE vehicle.

Reuters reported that the two deadly incidents occurred as the Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement efforts, with both shootings triggering anti-ICE demonstrations in Texas and Maine.

The Associated Press also reported that the Houston ICE agents involved were not equipped with body cameras during the encounter. DHS has said those officers are expected to receive body-worn cameras within the next 60 days.

If the reported directive is officially confirmed, the temporary suspension of routine vehicle stops would represent one of the most significant operational changes for ICE in recent years as federal authorities continue investigating both fatal shootings.