ICE says only one officer faced discipline amid 56 excessive force complaints

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 23, 2026 07:26 IST

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday that only one officer has been referred for disciplinary action in a use-of-force case since the start of the Trump administration. The closed-door briefing covered body cameras, vehicle stops and training, and came amid growing scrutiny of the agency after two recent fatal shootings involving immigrants ICE officers were trying to arrest.

The shootings in Maine and Houston, which took place within a week of each other, have raised concerns about ICE tactics as the agency steps up arrests under President Donald Trump's mass deportation drive. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents since Trump returned to office, and in the Maine case, family members of the officer who opened fire have said he had a history of violent behaviour and should not have been given a badge and gun.

Representative Seth Magaziner, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said lawmakers were told there had been 56 complaints of excessive force against ICE officers. Of these, 32 were cleared and one was referred for disciplinary action, while the rest remain under investigation. Magaziner said they were told that no discipline had yet been imposed. He said, "It just defies belief that an agency of 20,000-plus officers with all of the chaos that we've seen over the last year and a half through the surges and civilians being injured and killed, that no one would be found to have violated use of force with the exception of possibly one person."

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that ICE officers who violate agency policy are held accountable, and that officers are trained in de-escalation tactics and complete an annual refresher course on use-of-force rules. The agency also defended its officers, saying they work in an environment where they are regularly attacked. "When faced with dangerous circumstances, DHS law enforcement professionals have used their training to protect themselves, their fellow officers, and the public," it said. The latest figures are higher than those cited in February, when then acting director Todd Lyons told the Senate that ICE had opened 37 excessive-force investigations, with 18 closed, 19 pending and one referred for "further action".

Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the committee, said ICE officials could not discuss the Maine and Houston shootings because both are under investigation. Thompson said he left the briefing with "more questions than answers" and wanted clarity on who investigates use-of-force incidents. "Sometimes they said the FBI, sometimes they said HSI. Sometimes they said another entity," he said. Thompson also said officials told lawmakers that officers who had gone through a shorter training curriculum last autumn would be retrained. In June, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the agency would increase training for new officers from this month. Thompson said he pushed for details on how many officers had been called back and how they were being retrained, but did not get clear answers. He said he and committee chair Andrew Garbarino would send ICE a list of follow-up questions.

Garbarino said he appreciated the briefing and called it "an important opportunity for Members to receive timely answers on the status of body camera deployment for law enforcement in the field, training and vetting standards and requirements, and current guidance on the use of vehicle stops as part of immigration enforcement". On vehicle stops, Magaziner said ICE officers have been verbally told to use them only when there is no other option and to use lights and sirens, but that this guidance has not been issued in writing. Both the Maine and Houston cases involved immigrants in moving vehicles, adding to questions over ICE training and policy in such situations. After the Maine shooting, Trump administration officials told ICE officers to suspend most vehicle stops, but the next day Trump said on social media that he wanted the agency to continue carrying them out. The briefing reflected continuing questions over oversight, training and enforcement tactics as the investigations into the two shootings continue.

With PTI Inputs

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