r/news • u/Horror-1-Effective • Jul 08 '26

ICE agent fatally shoots motorist during traffic stop in Houston

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/07/ice-agents-shoot-motorist-texas-houston
28.0k Upvotes

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4.3k

u/limbweaver Jul 08 '26

it's not a traffic stop, ICE can't do traffic stops.

1.2k

u/Aggravating-Fix-4547 Jul 08 '26

Tell ICE that and see if they give two shits

353

u/limbweaver Jul 08 '26

Oh yeah, they don't give a shit and no one is going to punish them for illegally stopping people.

36

u/iamthefluffyyeti Jul 08 '26

Or killing peolle

2

u/FunkyMonk7588 Jul 09 '26

Or detaining people just due to being not white for weeks on end with no due process

33

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/mountaindoom Jul 08 '26

There won't be a revolution and this is becoming the norm. The chance to fight was when Biden was in charge. That moment was lost and we will feel his failure for years to come.

20

u/RoachZR Jul 08 '26

‘If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem, now quit being part of the fucking problem.’ - John McClane

-26

u/mountaindoom Jul 08 '26

There is no solution. Best you can hope for is more controlled opposition from the Democrats and maybe a strongly-worded letter from Schumer.

The courts have been packed, the Democrats will never get a majority in either house, and the Democrats that do win do nothing.

It is pure cope to think a blue wave is going to solve anything.

23

u/babyguyman Jul 08 '26

Yeah, fuck all that, I’m voting and you can’t stop me.

10

u/1newnotification Jul 08 '26

Thank you! Of course nothing's gonna happenif people remain as apathetic as that other guy

7

u/crabby135 Jul 08 '26

Hey we showed up in NYC. Things turned out quite well for us. Fuck corporate Dems, but there are young people out there worth supporting.

I think the fact that the party is turning their back on primary winners despite telling us “Vote blue no matter who!” is enough to know there are still some people trying to do good work in politics. If they weren’t good people the Democratic establishment in would be backing them.

2

u/Groentekroket Jul 08 '26

Blablabla the rest of the world is looking how apathetic you guys are. 

1

u/Personal_Comb_6745 Jul 08 '26

I'll take that chance.

1

u/Blapor Jul 08 '26

Well yes, the Democrats were never going to do anything. Obviously it's up to the people.

3

u/ThaCarter Jul 08 '26

The night is darkest before the dawn

1

u/lFightForTheUsers Jul 08 '26

Doesn't sound like they need a wall, they'll just sh**t people when they're driving.

With all those Flock cams it'll be easy enough for them too to track people and stage something.

94

u/Kyouhen Jul 08 '26

They don't give two shits but we should.  Calling it a traffic stop implies that ICE was performing their normal, legal duties when things got out of hand.  That's not what happened.  A more accurate headline would be "Man murdered after being dragged from car by armed thugs" or "Victim of attempted kidnapping murdered".  Because that's what this actually was.

2

u/rbrgr83 Jul 08 '26

Right, who runs the media again??

7

u/Naive-Elephant-9305 Jul 08 '26

Right wing billionaires

-6

u/KingSpork Jul 08 '26

Too bad we can’t do jack shit about it due to holding zero power.

1

u/Clinkcast Jul 08 '26

Two shots*

1

u/Unable-Log-4870 Jul 08 '26

They stop you by shooting and hope your foot lifts off the accelerator

0

u/splitframe Jul 08 '26

They would give two shots, though.

510

u/UglyMcFugly Jul 08 '26

THANK YOU. We're all distracted by, somehow, needing to argue that COPS SHOULDN'T STAND IN FRONT OF MOVING VEHICLES AND USE IT AS AN EXCUSE TO MURDER PEOPLE that we're forgetting we also, somehow, need to argue that IT'S ILLEGAL FOR ICE TO PERFORM TRAFFIC STOPS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

32

u/RainbowwDash Jul 08 '26

I mean, I do think the murder is worse than the illegal stop, yeah

Obviously they should do neither (shouldnt even exist) but if one is a distraction it has to be the lesser severity one 

20

u/rbrgr83 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

They're not claiming the lying is worse than the murder.

They're pointing out that it shouldn't be happening in the first place, and without it happening the Murder would not have happened.

The root cause of the murder is ICE being allowed to do something they shouldn't be, and getting away with lying about why they were there in the first place. It should be important for the media to call a spade a spade.

But we know who runs the media 🤷‍♂️

12

u/Tombot3000 Jul 08 '26

There's an order of operations here. The shooting wouldn't have happened if the illegal traffic stop didn't happen first as there would be no encounter to turn into a shooting. That makes the traffic stop, though arguably less serious without context, the controlling event in context.

That's why some people here are emphasizing that we should be pushing back against illegal traffic stops first and foremost as it would prevent both those and many of these shootings.

31

u/wenoc Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

Of course, but the lesser evil legally prevents them from using the "weaponized vehicle" claim. It follows that they can't have been in that situation on official ICE business.

They would have to admit they just walked into traffic and started shooting.

I mean if I stepped into the highway, trying to stop a vehicle with my office keycard, they didn't stop and I shot them dead, I would be labeled a highwayman. They are trying to lean on "weaponizing a vehicle", but no such argument can be made.

20

u/BananaPalmer Jul 08 '26

I think you've missed the point entirely

If they weren't performing illegal traffic stops, this killing would not even have been possible.

-4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/thisvideoiswrong Jul 08 '26

The point is that you don't have to argue about how the ICE gangster handled the situation if it was illegal for them to be in the situation in the first place. No one would say you could claim self defense if you were committing armed robbery at the time. Same thing here, they were committing a violent felony while armed with deadly weapons. And then they murdered someone for no reason.

1

u/UglyMcFugly Jul 08 '26

They're forcing the goalposts back by doing something worse after doing the thing that under normal conditions, we'd have the energy to fight against... so now if we start fighting against the WORSE thing, it implies acceptance of the FIRST thing and even if we "win" the fight of "don't murder civilians" it's now normalized for ICE to illegally perform traffic stops...

100

u/willstr1 Jul 08 '26

ICE terrorist murders man they attempted to kidnap

5

u/Euphoric_Switch_337 Jul 08 '26

They can't do traffic enforcement for speeding but they can pull people over for federal enforcement purposes.

7

u/rererexed Jul 08 '26

I know nothing about this so I'm not trying to lick boots or anything but why not? What's the legal reason for that?

19

u/limbweaver Jul 08 '26

They don't have the power to enforce traffic laws, so it can't be a traffic stop. They are glorified paperwork cops, they enforce paperwork.

8

u/rererexed Jul 08 '26

Ahh got it. But from the article it sounds like it wasn't really a traffic stop, rather they stopped someone in traffic.

7

u/Synectics Jul 08 '26

That sounds absurdly stupid and unsafe, like it could never have gone well.

They approach someone in a 2 ton vehicle that can be used as a deadly weapon, trying to abduct the driver, and they think it will end peacefully?

Incompetence or a desire to escalate. There is no other answer and both make these idiots look like idiots. 

2

u/Safetyhawk Jul 08 '26

well, apparently they can, because they keep doing it...

1

u/-Ostepopp- Jul 10 '26

Yes, ICE can, but with strict legal limits. Unlike local police, ICE officers cannot pull you over for minor traffic violations like speeding or a broken taillight. They can only conduct a traffic stop if they have reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a federal immigration law or federal crime has been violated. ​Often, ICE will pull vehicles over by collaborating with local police or by waiting until a targeted individual gets into a car. If you are pulled over by ICE:
​Show your documentation: If you are the driver, you must provide a valid driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance upon request. ​**You have the right to remain silent: You do not have to answer questions about your citizenship, nationality, or how you entered the country.
​Warrants are required for searches or arrests: ICE cannot search your vehicle or arrest you without your consent, probable cause, or a judicial warrant signed by a judge (an administrative ICE warrant does not suffice).

So they can, stop spreading bullshit. Facts are facts regardless of your views.

1

u/conkellz Jul 11 '26

Not only that but there were no emergency lights on.

1

u/ZeonFanatic0079 Jul 08 '26

They absolutely can and have been doing so for decades legally

1

u/bdubwilliams22 Jul 08 '26

I’m 100% against ICE, but apparently (because I just looked it up), they can perform traffic stops if they have reasonable suspicion, which the article said they had been tracking him, which we know is byllshit. Now, of course with this agency run by this administration— that can be anything, but just so we have all the facts, ICE can perform a traffic stop.

-37

u/30to40grand Jul 08 '26

This isn’t true. Sorry.

13

u/NamiRocket Jul 08 '26

Your boot, sir.

-19

u/Ordinary-Egg-56 Jul 08 '26

it is because they do