Ankara:US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been directed to stop arresting immigrants without criminal convictions or pending charges, as reported by agency sources.

According to Anadolu Agency, the directive allows federal immigration agents to arrest immigrants with criminal convictions or pending charges, but those with final deportation orders and no criminal history will not be targeted. This change also aims to end 'collateral arrests,' where officers detain individuals without legal status encountered while pursuing a criminal target.

This directive follows increased scrutiny of immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration. Some ICE officers have expressed dissatisfaction with the change, with one suggesting it is related to the upcoming midterm elections as a strategy to reduce tensions. Another officer predicted a decrease in arrest numbers.

Approximately a week prior, an ICE officer shot and wounded a Venezuelan man in Texas during an attempted traffic stop. This officer, hired last year after working for another federal agency, was not wearing a body camera at the time, although ICE reminded officers to activate cameras during enforcement actions. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of the man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, ordering him to appear at a hearing on September 30.

An unnamed ICE source questioned whether President Trump was informed of this directive, expressing hope that he would intervene to stop it.