Former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Sandweg said the agency faces a broader operational problem after at least 17 officer-involved shootings this year, arguing that increased reliance on traffic stops and the absence of body cameras have exposed weaknesses in ICE's enforcement strategy.
Speaking Sunday, Sandweg said the recent fatal shootings in Maine and Texas should not be viewed solely through the question of whether officers were legally justified in using deadly force. Instead, he said the overall trend points to deeper concerns within the agency.
"It's really difficult to tell based on the limited information we have available to us thus far," Sandweg said when asked whether the use of deadly force appeared justified in the two recent cases.
He added, "If you take a step back and you look at this trend, where we have at least 17 shootings involving ICE agents, not including other DHS officers, five of which have been fatal, it's clear to me we have a problem."
The two latest incidents occurred during traffic stops in Maine and Texas. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the men involved attempted to flee and used their vehicles as weapons. Neither individual was reportedly the intended target of the enforcement operations, and no officers involved were wearing body cameras.
Sandweg said ICE has increasingly relied on vehicle stops even though they were historically a limited part of the agency's enforcement work. He argued agents generally arrested individuals before they entered vehicles or after they exited them, meaning ICE officers have not traditionally received the same specialized training for vehicle encounters as many other law enforcement agencies.
He also said a temporary pause in vehicle-stop operations, previously proposed by the DHS secretary, "made a lot of sense" while the agency reviewed the growing number of shootings. According to the report, President Donald Trump later ensured the strategy would continue.
The former ICE director also questioned why officers involved in the recent fatal encounters were not equipped with body cameras. Although the agency has received funding for the devices, Sandweg said the issue was not financial.
"It's not a financial issue," he said. "The only thing I could say is, it's a prioritisation issue."
Sandweg said the lack of body cameras predates the current administration but argued they have become increasingly important as ICE expands enforcement operations within communities. He also raised concerns about the agency's accelerated hiring efforts as it seeks to significantly increase the number of agents.
The interview referenced Associated Press reporting that relatives of an officer involved in the Maine shooting alleged he had a history of violence. Sandweg said he could not verify those claims or comment on the officer's background, but added the allegations raised broader questions about recruitment and screening during a period of rapid hiring.
"It absolutely raises concerns for me," Sandweg said, noting that ICE historically hired only a few hundred agents each year but is now attempting to recruit thousands over a much shorter period. He also questioned the Justice Department's approach to prosecuting protesters during immigration enforcement operations, saying authorities should avoid pursuing assault cases when the evidence is insufficient, particularly after reports that several such cases had ended in dismissals or acquittals.
