Washington: One Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has been referred for disciplinary action over a use-of-force incident since the beginning of the Trump administration, Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee said after a briefing with ICE officials on Wednesday.
The briefing followed two fatal shootings in Maine and Houston in which ICE officers shot and killed immigrants they were trying to arrest, raising concerns about the agency's enforcement tactics as it ramps up arrests.
Committee members said they were told there had been 56 complaints of excessive force against ICE officers. Of the 56 complaints, 32 were cleared, one was referred for disciplinary action and the rest remain under investigation.
"It just defies belief that an agency of more than 20,000 officers... would have found only one possible use-of-force violation," Representative Seth Magaziner said.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers who violate agency policies are held accountable and receive regular de-escalation and use-of-force training. It added that officers often operate in dangerous situations.
The figures mark an increase from February, when ICE reported 37 excessive force investigations.
Committee members also questioned ICE's oversight, training and vehicle-stop policies. They said current guidance allows vehicle stops only when there is no alternative and requires officers to use lights and sirens, but the guidance has been communicated verbally rather than in writing.
Both recent shootings involved immigrants in moving vehicles, prompting further scrutiny of ICE's arrest procedures. Following the Maine shooting, the Trump administration briefly suspended most vehicle stops before President Donald Trump said they should continue.
