Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree that ICE would still pause traffic stops to review its policies, her office said, contradicting President Donald Trump’s public declaration that the stops would continue.
Pingree, a Democrat from Maine’s 1st District, spoke with Mullin by phone Wednesday afternoon after repeated requests to discuss Monday’s fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a traffic stop in Biddeford, which sits in her district.
Mullin did not explain the discrepancy between his comments to Pingree and Trump’s stance but said ICE “would be pausing traffic stops to review their policies.” He did not explain the discrepancy between his comments to Pingree and Trump’s stance, according to her office.
“He did not provide clarity on the president’s statement,” a spokesperson for the congresswoman told Bangor Daily News.
The confusion over the vehicle stops policy comes after two individuals were shot and killed by federal agents during vehicle stops over the last two weeks. The deaths in Biddeford and Texas have sparked outrage and calls for reform or for ICE to be abolished outright, particularly among Democrats seeking to replace Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Collins said Tuesday that the traffic stops would be temporarily halted after she talked with Mullin. She and other lawmakers applauded the move, even as they pressed Homeland Security for more answers and a thorough investigation.
Collins’ office told BDN Wednesday that the senator still thinks a temporary pause on non-urgent traffic stops by ICE is warranted. Pingree plans to send Mullin “a long list of questions that remain unanswered and reiterate her outrage over the tragedy” on Thursday.
The president said in a Truth Social post that traffic stops by ICE are a critical tool. Mullin said Wednesday that officers will arrest and deport “illegal aliens” from “wherever they are.” ICE has said in multiple statements that it does not comment on law enforcement tactics.
Mullin said Wednesday evening on X that he and Trump are on the same page.
“We want our ICE officers to have all options available to keep them safe while executing our mission,” he said.
Pingree also asked Mullin to justify ICE’s continued presence in Maine several months after Collins and others announced the end of enhanced operations in the state. The secretary told Pingree the agency will continue its “heavy push on picking up individuals with final removal orders.”
The agency does not plan to release the name of the ICE officers involved in the Biddeford shooting at this time, the spokesperson said.