ICE’s Deadly Traffic Stops

Summary

"ICE’s Deadly Traffic Stops" – What A Day (July 14, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of What A Day, host Jane Coaston dives deep into recent deadly encounters involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during routine traffic stops. Coaston sits down with David Beer, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, to discuss the pattern of violence, failures in federal accountability, policy changes under Department of Homeland Security leaders, and the national implications for immigrant safety. The conversation is framed by two recent cases in which ICE agents fatally shot individuals who were not the intended targets of enforcement operations.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Violence During Vehicle Stops

• Two Deaths, Different States:
  Coaston highlights that last week, ICE agents killed two men—one in Houston, Texas, the other in Maine—both of whom were legal residents or permitted to work in the U.S. (04:30–05:47).
• Policy vs. Practice:
  Beer explains that ICE policies explicitly advise against agents putting themselves in harm’s way during vehicle stops and discourage shooting at moving vehicles:

  “They're not supposed to put their bodies in the way... it puts the officer in danger and then creates an environment where the officer may feel it's justified to shoot the driver...the policy also recommends against shooting operators of moving vehicles because shooting a driver does not stop a vehicle.” – David Beer (07:04)

• Reality on the Ground:
  Agents, in practice, rely on stopping cars to identify and detain people, which has led to dangerous confrontations.

2. Pattern of Lack of Accountability

• Body Cameras Not in Use:
  Despite Congress allocating $20 million for body cameras and DHS's extensive budget, officers involved in the recent shootings were not wearing body cameras (12:29–14:10).

  “They had over $100 billion at their disposal to roll out body cameras... They don't want accountability. It's the same reason why they wear masks. They don't want people to know what they're doing.” – David Beer (12:58)

• Transparency Failures:
  Coaston and Beer discuss how ICE agents regularly operate without clear identification, delaying public knowledge about those involved in shootings.

3. Misinformation and Narrative Control

• DHS and ICE often release misleading statements following incidents involving use of force.
• Coaston notes the recurrence:

  “DHS says something about an incident... I’m going to be very clear that this is what DHS said, because I’m pretty sure that we’re going to learn in about 24 hours that none of this is true.” – Jane Coaston (14:10)

• Beer attributes this to misinformation funneled up from officers seeking self-protection and to institutional patterns developed under prior leadership:

  “I do think the officers are filtering up false information to protect themselves... Maybe it feels like that subjectively... but as an actual reality, no, you are not being attacked, you were the one initiating the interaction.” – David Beer (14:45)

4. Shifting Enforcement Strategies

• Leadership Change (Kristi Noem to Markwayne Mullin):
  Coaston asks if there’s been a substantive shift under Sec. Mullen. Beer argues changes were already in motion and that the latest surge stems from a strategic overhaul—moving from targeted city blitzes to widespread intense enforcement (16:49–18:54).

  “So now what's happening is we had a doubling of arrests in just the last two months. And it's a result of this intense pressure to hit these quotas and targets for arrests the White House has sent. We now decided on a new model. It's just as intense but more diffuse across the country.” – David Beer (18:54)

• Arrest Numbers:
  Daily ICE interior arrests have ballooned to over 2,000 per day, compared to 300 per day at the end of the Biden administration.

5. Impending End to Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

• Supreme Court recently cleared the way to end TPS protections for immigrants from certain countries, such as Haiti, though actual implementation is pending (19:17–20:30).
• Beer warns this shift could intensify racial profiling and mass deportation efforts, especially in communities where demographics differ sharply between citizens and immigrants.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ICE’s disregard for accountability:

  “They had over $100 billion at their disposal...and I think the reason is quite clear. They don't want accountability. It's the same reason why they wear masks.” – David Beer (12:58)

• On official misinformation:

  “DHS says something about an incident... I am going to be very clear that this is what DHS said, because I'm pretty sure that we're going to learn in about 24 hours that none of this is true. This keeps happening.” – Jane Coaston (14:10)

• On the deluge of ICE arrests:

  “That's what's led to now over 2,000 arrests per day. At the end of the Biden administration, it was about 300 arrests in the Interior per day. So it's just an enormous, enormous increase.” – David Beer (18:54)

• On dangerous shifts in racial profiling:

  “When you think about ICE moving into a place like Springfield where there's a huge bifurcation of the population between the Black Haitians and the white US citizen population...the racial profiling opportunities there are going to be very intense.” – David Beer (19:35)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & News Recap: 00:30–04:30
• ICE Shootings and Increased Violence: 04:30–06:29
• David Beer Interview: ICE Vehicle Stops: 06:32–08:33
• (Advertisements skipped)
• Body Cameras and Accountability: 12:29–14:10
• Pattern of ICE Misinformation: 14:10–16:49
• ICE Strategy Changes & Arrest Surge: 16:49–18:54
• Impact of Supreme Court Decision (TPS): 19:17–20:30
• Closing Comments and Next Steps: 20:30–21:21

---

Recap & Takeaways

This episode exposes the yawning gap between ICE’s official policies and the reality on the ground, where the lack of body cameras, reliance on vehicle stops, and the spread of misinformation have deadly consequences. With the enforcement net widening and policy shifts on the horizon, Beer warns this trend spells greater risk for immigrants—even those with legal status—as the machinery of federal enforcement rights itself against accountability and transparency.

A must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the ongoing crisis within federal immigration enforcement and its profound effects on communities across the country.

Transcript

[David Beer]

They had over $100 billion at their disposal to roll out body cameras to new officers if they wanted, and they didn't do it. And I think the reason is quite clear. They don't want accountability. It's the same reason why they wear masks. They don't want people to know what they're.

[Jane Coaston]

I'm Jane Costen and this is what a day. The show congratulating E. Jean Carroll on finally getting paid by President Donald Trump

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

today after he repeatedly defamed her.

[Jane Coaston]

Yes. According to court documents, $5,625,005.48.

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

That's interest.

[Jane Coaston]

Hit Carol's bank account. I hope she got a fun notification on her phone letting her know. On today's show, we talk about a week of federal immigration enforcement violence with the Cato Institute. David Beer, before we get into all the changing narratives of ice, here's what we're following today.

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

Tuesday, July 14, I was wondering if

[Kevin Warsh]

you could explain your changing thinking on

[Jane Coaston]

the Strait of Hormuz, applying a 20% fee.

[David Beer]

How did you get to the decision?

[Amy Coney Barrett]

You just.

[Seth Magaziner]

Yes.

[Donald Trump]

So when I put that out yesterday, because we've been doing that for many, many years, it was never fair to me that we would be guarding the strait when we basically don't take any. We don't need the oil at all. And it wasn't important for us, but it was important for allies. It was important for people that we get along with very well, including the major Gulf state countries. So I put it out yesterday. I thought it was good. I was called by different people, different countries, kings and emirs and all of the people that we all know and we all love and they've been, frankly, they've been very strong partners.

[Jane Coaston]

I do not know or love the emirs of the Gulf states. That seems like a you thing. After announcing a plan to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, Trump today did what he does best.

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

He tacoed.

[Jane Coaston]

In a post on Trusocial, Trump said that actually he wouldn't be charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, Gulf countries will make, quote, trade and investment deals in the United States. During an Oval Office press event with the prime minister of Iraq, Trump added that, quote, I don't think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait, which is again, the opposite of what he proposed yesterday. Oh, and by the way, over the weekend, Trump sent a formal notice to Congress that the United States is again at war with Iran, giving the Trump administration another 60 days before they need to ask lawmakers for approval. Think of it like an action movie. Iran War Part 2 Still stupid.

[Kevin Warsh]

If we get policy right, and I can assure you we will, the inflation

[Seth Magaziner]

surge of the last five years will

[Kevin Warsh]

be a thing of the past.

[Jane Coaston]

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh made his first appearance before Congress since replacing Jerome

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

Powell as head of the Fed.

[Jane Coaston]

Walsh spoke to the House Financial Services Committee today. After the government reported that US Inflation cooled last month. The cost of gas, clothes and used cars fell, providing some relief for consumers. According to the labor department, prices dropped 0.4% from May to June, the largest monthly drop in four years. Still, oil prices rose for a second day as the US Renewed attacks on Iran and Trump announced a new blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

[Donald Trump]

He's young and he's handsome, which I don't like. I'm not happy about it.

[Jane Coaston]

On this episode of who is Trump talking about this time? I give you a new player, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaydi. Trump welcomed Al Zahedi to the White House today after strongly backing his bid for office. Al Zaidi is a wealthy businessman with no political background, so it doesn't come as a surprise that Trump is taken to him also. He's so handsome. During their meeting in the Oval Office, Trump said Iraq has, quote, tremendous potential because of its oil and deals were on the horizon. Al Zaidi said the focus of his visit would be to announce a, quote, economic partnership between the two countries, though it wasn't on the original schedule. Trump decided he and Al Zaidi would have lunch together because of their, quote, tremendous chemistry, because, again, he's so handsome.

[Amy Coney Barrett]

Maybe I lack imagination, but I didn't expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one.

[Jane Coaston]

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers today about the sharp increase in threats she's experienced since joining the nation's highest court. Barrett and Justice Elena Kagan testified before a House appropriations panel in support of a request to increase security funding for Supreme Court justices. It's the first time justices have testified before Congress since 2019. It comes as judges around the country have seen a rise in threats of violence and intimidation. The Supreme Court requested a total of $228 million for the next fiscal year, a roughly 10% increase over the year before. Much of the requested increase would go to expanding personal protection for members of the court, with six more agents for each. And that's the news. Let's talk about immigration and Customs Enforcement. Last week, ICE agents killed a Mexican man in Houston, Texas, who was driving to work and was not the target of an ICE operation, despite what the Department of Homeland Security said initially. And yesterday, ICE agents in Maine killed a Colombian man who was legally permitted to work in the United States. He was also not the target of an operation. This marks two deaths at the hands of ICE officers in the last week alone. The response to the shootings this past week was immediately. Here's Rhode Island Democratic Representative Seth Magaziner on the House floor today.

[Seth Magaziner]

When will this madness stop? When he took his position, Secretary Mullen said that his goal was to get the department off the front page of the news. Well, you're back on the goddamn front page now with two innocent people gunned down in broad daylight.

[Jane Coaston]

These deaths are part of a recent surge of ICE activity and violence. The New York Times reported that ICE arrested more than 10,000 people in the last five days of June alone. That surge means that more people are coming into contact with ICE agents with horrifying consequences. For more, I spoke to David Beer. He's Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute. David, welcome to.

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

What a day.

[David Beer]

Thanks for having me on.

[Jane Coaston]

So it's been somehow about six months since the deaths of Renee Goode and Alex Preddy, which I think rocked many of us, the entire city of Minneapolis, the country. And here we are again with two more people shot to death by federal immigration agents in two different states. Both victims were in cars when they were shot. And today it's been reported that ICE agents have been ordered to suspend most vehicle stops. What was the ICE procedure dealing with vehicles before this? Cause this seems like this keeps happening.

[David Beer]

I mean, they do have pretty good policies, actually, when it comes to how ICE agents and DHS officials are supposed to interact with vehicles. They're not supposed to put their bodies in the way of the vehicle to try to stop them or force the vehicle to stop in that way, because that puts the officer in danger and then creates an environment where the officer may feel it's justified to shoot the driver, even though the policy also recommends against shooting operators of. Of moving vehicles, because shooting a driver does not stop a vehicle. But the upshot here, really, is that the agents are actually going out of their way to stop people in their vehicles. Making vehicle stops was a big part of what they're doing, because for a number of reasons. One, it's easy to take someone's license plate and try to look up, well, who's the driver or who's the vehicle registered to, and then you can try to figure out, okay, do they have status in the country or not? And then try to make a stop from there. And that's what's resulted in a lot of these cases where ICE agents have been just trying to randomly roving around looking for people to round up, and then they end up in a car chase and ultimately a shooting, which is what we saw in Houston.

[Jane Coaston]

We'll get back to my conversation with David Beer in a moment to talk about how DHS has and hasn't changed under Mark Wayne Mullen. But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads what a Day is brought to you by

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

Quints the best summer pieces are the ones you end up wearing on repeat. Comfortable, versatile, and somehow right for almost every occasion. That's why I love Quince. They make elevated essentials using premium materials like European linen, organic cotton and washable silk without the traditional retail markup. Quince's 100% European linen pants, dresses and tops are the pieces you'll reach for all summer long. They're lightweight, effortless to style and start at just $32. Their denim is soft and comfortable, and their organic cotton sweaters are perfect for layering when evenings cool down. Quince's beautiful 14k gold jewelry adds a subtle finishing touch. Simple hoops or delicate chains make even the most effortless outfit feel intentional. And everything at Quint's is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for exceptional quality, not brand markup.

[Jane Coaston]

Like a lot of workplaces, our office

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

is cold, so my Quince Mongolian cashmere turtleneck sweaters have been a lifesaver. And it's not just apparel. Quince also offers elevated essentials for your home, from bedding and bath to kitchen essentials and furniture make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to quince.com wad for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-E.com wad for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com wad this podcast is sponsored by Casper. Casper makes reliable, high quality mattresses designed to deliver consistent, comfortable sleep night after night. That's why out of 99 mattresses, Consumer Reports named Casper's the 1 Mattress. Their top rated all foam mattress of 2026. That's a big deal.

[Jane Coaston]

Casper's mattresses are built to be durable

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

and long lasting so you're not replacing your mattress every few years. Their products are designed to withstand the test of time, maintaining support and comfort

[Jane Coaston]

over the long haul.

[Jane Coaston (continued or co-host)]

There is no sponsor of this podcast whose product I use more than Casper every night, night after night for the best sleep ever. Remember, the day always ends well with Casper. Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else. When you go to Casper.com one last time that C-P-E-R.com and save up to 20% on the mattress you deserve this

[Kevin Warsh]

episode Sponsored by Marathon Sports Runners know the feeling. That moment when the shoe disappears. Your stride feels smooth, your breathing settles in and the run just clicks.

[Marathon Sports Announcer]

That's what Marathon Sports has been helping runners find for over 50 years. At marathon Sports, their expert team uses the Right Fit process to match you with shoes and gear built for the way your body actually moves. No guesswork, no generic recommendations, just real guidance from people who live and breathe running. Whether you're training for your next marathon, getting back into running, or chasing a better everyday run, Marathon Sports helps you find what works for you. Visit marathonsports.com or stop into a marathon sports store today and experience the difference the Right Fit can make.

[Made in Cookware Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by Made in Cookware Made in partners with multi generational artisans and some of the world's best chefs to create professional quality cookware, knives and kitchen tools. Their products are trusted in Michelin starred restaurants worldwide and designed to perform just as well in your kitchen. From five ply stainless clad to carbon steel, every piece is built to last and made to actually make you a better cook. Discover award winning [e-mail]

[Jane Coaston]

let's get back to my conversation with David Beer. Something that I am noting is that the officers in both the main shooting and the Houston shooting were reportedly not wearing body cameras. Now, back in 1892 or earlier this year, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that body cameras would be deployed to officers across the country. Congress gave DHS $20 million for body cameras. DHS is flush with money. Why weren't the officers wearing them?

[David Beer]

No one really knows. I mean, look, even if they didn't have money specifically allocated to them, they absolutely could equip the officers with body cameras if they really wanted to. They're blaming the government shutdown, which never really affected the ice at all. According to the director of ice, Todd Lyons testified that they were not being affected because they had been pre funded by the one big beautiful bill in July of last year. So they had over $100 billion at their disposal to roll out body cameras to new officers if they wanted, and they didn't do it. And I think the reason is quite clear. They don't want accountability. It's the same reason why they wear masks. They don't want people to know what they're doing. They don't want people to be able to look up who they are and file lawsuits against them or otherwise hold them accountable. And that's why in so many of these cases, you know, how long are we going to have to wait to find out who the agent was who shot whoever the latest person is to be shot?

[Jane Coaston]

I want to jump in on something else with regard to the shooting of Renee Goode and a couple of these other instances, which is that DHS says something about an incident and then, you know, I remember talking to our producers about this last week, that I am going to be very clear that this is what DHS said, because I'm pretty sure that we're going to learn in about 24 hours that none of this is true. This keeps happening. DHS will say, look, this person attacked our car. And then video will come out. No, they didn't. What's going on here?

[David Beer]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's a cultural thing. You know, it really got going under Secretary Noem's leadership that they were going to have quick, rapid responses to any controversy, any criticism online would be responded to, and they were going to have a very aggressive social media strategy. And that leads to problems when officers are not honest after incidents happen. And I do think that, you know, it's not Secretary Noem necessarily, or the head of the DHS social media team that is making up lies about what happens in these scenarios. They are actually getting this information from somewhere most of the time. Some of the framing language, I think, is something generated by the higher ups in the Alex Preddy case, for example, saying that he had the intent to massacre. I mean, that's something that wasn't necessarily coming from the officers. But the idea that we're getting information that he had a gun and was threatening people, that is coming from the officers. So I do think the officers are filtering up false information to protect themselves. They're afraid of what might happen to them. And I think they want to justify what they did. And so they say that individual was uncooperative and attacked them. And maybe it feels like that Subjectively to them, you know, that they're being attacked by someone not listening to them in the way that they want, but as a actual reality, no, you are not being attacked. You were the one initiating the interaction. You know, in the Houston case, you know, the video shows pretty clearly that the man who was killed there did not slam his vehicle into the ICE vehicles. It was the other way around.

[Jane Coaston]

Something that's been strange is that DHS Secretary Markway Mullen took over for Kristi Noem in March, and it felt like ICE activity was comparatively quiet. It's not that ICE wasn't doing things. They've been still arresting people en masse, but it has felt far less flashy. Is that purposeful? How has the department been working under Mullen?

[David Beer]

Yeah, so I think Mullen is getting. Was getting some credit for this shift, when really it was more coincidence than anything else. I mean, he didn't take over until after this shift was well underway. And it was a response, effectively. What happened was Border Patrol got neutered from doing interior enforcement in cities. That was the model that Stephen Miller and the White House had imposed on DHS and said, we're gonna go out and go city to city and we're gonna send Border Patrol teams in, and we're just gonna blitz the area and get as many arrests as we can, and then we'll go to another city and we'll do the same thing. And so that strategy was then discredited by Minnesota in the eyes of the public. And in particular, President Trump said, I don't want this anymore. Figure out a new strategy. And it just so happened that Mullen was coming in as this strategy with new strategy was being figured out. And then they decided, we're just going to ramp up everywhere. We have enough money to pay the officers for weekends and only over time, as much as we want. And so now what's happening is we had a doubling of arrests in just the last two months. And it's a result of this intense pressure to hit these quotas and targets for arrests that the White House has sent. We now decided on a new model. It's just as intense, but it's more diffuse across the country. There's no one single area.

[Ron Johnson]

It's.

[David Beer]

This is why you have it happening in Maine at the same time as it's happening in Houston. And so that's what's led to now over 2000 arrests per day. And you have to look back at the end of the Biden administration, It was about 300 arrests in the Interior per day. So it's just an enormous, enormous increase.

[Jane Coaston]

So at the end of June, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end temporary protected status, which gives immigrants from certain countries legal permission to stay in the US if they can't safely return home. People from Haiti, for example, Is that playing a role in that surge of deportations we've been seeing?

[David Beer]

Yeah, so it actually hasn't been fully implemented yet because there's still some lower court action, bureaucratic actions that need to happen to remove the lower court injunction. So it actually hasn't played a part. And I think we're really only getting the initial taste of what this is gonna look like. I mean, when you think about ICE moving into a place like Springfield where there's a huge bifurcation of the population between the black Haitians and the white US Citizen population, I mean, the racial profiling opportunities there are going to be very intense. And I think that is a situation that so many people are worried about when those protections are fully eliminated and they can proceed with a mass deportation strategy targeting them.

[Jane Coaston]

David, thank you so much for taking the time to join me.

[David Beer]

Sure. Anytime.

[Jane Coaston]

That was my conversation with David Beer, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute. Before we go, on last week's episode of Keep It Pop, Culture, connoisseurs Louis Vattel and Nina Parker asked the hard hitting questions, should we tax the tasteless rich? And are you familiar with up and coming Gen Z artist Madonna? Check out Keep it for the highbrow and lowbrow pop culture stories you love. New episodes of Keep It Drop every Wednesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review. Let Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson show you a fun new way to get away with saying nonsense. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, and not just about how after claiming a recent photo of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell may have been fake news, Johnson hit control Z during an interview on News Nation Today.

[News Nation Today Host]

You know, on Monday, you said that you're not sure that the photo that Senator Mitch McConnell shared of himself and his wife over the weekend in the hospital is even a new picture. What made you say that? And I'm curious if you've gotten any more clarity on that, Congressman.

[Ron Johnson]

Well, the TV host was saying it was AI and I just said, well, you know, I'd heard that maybe wasn't the most recent photo. You know, I have, I, I have no idea. I mean, just discount all that like me.

[Jane Coaston]

What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coaston, and when it comes to things Ron Johnson says, I generally do just discount all that Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Caitlin Plummer, Emily four, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America east

[Kevin Warsh]

this episode, sponsored by Marathon Sports. Runners know the feeling. That moment when the shoe disappears, your stride feels smooth, your breathing settles in, and the run just clicks.

[Marathon Sports Announcer]

That's what Marathon Sports has been helping runners find for over 50 years. At marathon Sports, their expert team uses the Right Fit process to match you with shoes and gear built for the way your body actually moves. No guesswork, no generic recommendations, just real guidance from people who live and breathe running. Whether you're training for your next marathon, getting back into running, or chasing a better, everyday run, Marathon Sports helps you find what works for you. Visit marathonsports.com or stop into a marathon sports store today and experience the difference the Right Fit can make.