Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers across the country were told this weekend to cease arrests of all non-criminals, agency sources tell The Daily Wire.
Federal immigration agents may only arrest illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges for the time being, said the sources, who spoke with The Daily Wire on the condition of anonymity. Those who have final deportation orders but lack criminal convictions or charges will not be arrested, they said.
The change also reportedly ends so-called “collateral arrests,” sources said, meaning officers who find a criminal target alongside others in the country illegally may detain only the target.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This major change to the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort comes as the public sours on the White House’s handling of illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump has a 43% approval rating on immigration, a decrease from a high of 48% last summer, according to Fox News.
Several ICE officers expressed frustration with the seemingly sudden change, and one suggested it may be an attempt to gain public favor before the midterms.
“We believe it has something to do with the midterms coming up,” one source said. “They’re trying to calm things down before the elections.”
“We’ll see the arrest numbers go down,” another source said.
The change comes just a week after an ICE officer shot a Venezuelan illegal migrant in Austin last weekend. The officer, reportedly a recent ICE hire who previously worked for Border Patrol, had been issued a body camera but was not wearing it at the time of the shooting.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis initially said the shooting came after a “small foot pursuit,” according to NBC News.
After the shooting, ICE officers nationwide received a notice reminding them that body cameras must be worn during arrests, sources said.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is also struggling to prove himself after the White House pulled the nomination of Lance Schroyer, his choice to lead ICE, according to the New York Times.
One ICE source cast doubt on whether agency leadership told Trump before calling off non-criminal arrests. Similar questions surfaced in July, when Mullin briefly halted ICE traffic stops following two fatal shootings by ICE officers in Bidderford, Maine, and Houston.
Trump quickly restored traffic stops after coming out in opposition to the pause.
“I hope Trump finds out about this sh*t and puts an end to it,” the source said.
