ICE Has Quietly Changed Its Deadly-Force Rule
Officers under investigation can no longer return quickly to the streets.
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency quietly updated its deadly-force policy, affecting officers who engage in such incidents. Previously, officers involved in shooting or chokehold incidents could return to duty within three days, but now they must remain on desk duty until cleared by investigators.
This change, ordered by Acting ICE Director David Venturella, could extend officers' time away from patrol duties, potentially up to the completion of an investigation. ICE has seen at least 16 shootings since January, including four fatalities, with two fatal traffic stop shootings in July—one in Texas and another in Maine. Critics, including veteran officials, are concerned about the competence of recently hired ICE officers, some of whom have mental health issues and violent histories.
The agency is also facing pressure to arrest more people and is exploring nonlethal tools like electrified gloves to reduce deadly force incidents.
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