Trump Shuts Down ICE Traffic Stop Pause After Conservative Backlash

Police officer conducting a traffic stop on a highway

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to suspend most vehicle stops nationwide — then President Trump reversed the order within 24 hours, leaving Mullin caught between a Republican senator, an angry president, and a furious conservative base calling for his resignation.

Story Snapshot

Two men were fatally shot by ICE agents during vehicle stops in Texas and Maine within six days, prompting DHS Secretary Mullin to order a nationwide pause on most ICE traffic stops.
Mullin issued the directive after speaking with Republican Senator Susan Collins, who urged him to stop “non-urgent” vehicle stops — a move that enraged many Trump supporters.
President Trump publicly rejected the pause, saying it “won’t happen on my watch,” and overturned Mullin’s order within roughly 24 hours.
ICE leadership was caught off guard by Trump’s reversal, and conservative critics, including attorney Mike Davis, publicly demanded Mullin’s resignation.

Two Deadly Shootings Triggered the Pause

Within six days in July 2026, ICE agents fatally shot two men during vehicle stops — one in Houston, Texas, and one in Biddeford, Maine. Officials confirmed the man killed in Maine was not even the intended target. The back-to-back deaths drew sharp criticism and media attention. In response, Mullin ordered ICE agents across all states to immediately suspend most vehicle stops, with exceptions only for cases involving serious criminal targets.

Border czar Tom Homan went on Fox News to defend the pause, calling it “not a policy change” but “a short-term review to make sure ICE agents are safe.” Homan insisted the suspension would not stop the administration’s mass deportation effort. Still, the optics were damaging. Many in Trump’s base saw the pause as a cave to political pressure — and the fallout came fast.

Trump Steps In and Reverses the Order

President Trump publicly pushed back the same day the pause was announced. He posted that ICE would not stop traffic stops on “his watch.” Within roughly 24 hours, Trump overturned Mullin’s directive entirely, ordering ICE to resume vehicle stops. According to NBC News, senior ICE officials were surprised by Trump’s reversal — a sign that the White House and the Department of Homeland Security were not on the same page when the pause was ordered.

The episode revealed a clear crack inside the administration. Mullin had acted after talking with Senator Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine who has often broken with her party on immigration. Conservative critics accused Mullin of going around Trump’s back to appease a senator known for opposing hardline enforcement. Mullin did not directly address whether he had coordinated with Trump before issuing the pause.

MAGA Base Turns on Mullin

The backlash from Trump’s base was swift and loud. Conservative attorney Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, went on social media and publicly blasted Mullin, demanding he resign. Davis accused Mullin of “caving” to Collins and undermining Trump’s immigration agenda. The Gateway Pundit and other right-leaning outlets amplified the criticism, with calls for Mullin’s firing spreading quickly across social media platforms.

WATCH: Mike Davis GOES OFF on Markwayne Mullin for Caving to Susan Collins on ICE Traffic Stops as Calls for Resignation Grow – “I’m Going to LIGHT THEIR ASSES UP!”

Link in the comment section. pic.twitter.com/fz9kQgZ52e

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) July 16, 2026

Mullin, who replaced former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026, has faced a steep learning curve in the role. He has tried to project toughness — pointing to Antifa arrests at a New Jersey ICE protest and warning that immigrants who flee enforcement are putting lives at risk. But the traffic stop episode put him in a nearly impossible spot: caught between a senator from his own party, a president who reversed his decision publicly, and a base that views any pause in enforcement as surrender. Whether Mullin can recover his standing inside the administration remains an open question.