President Trump is pushing back against calls to scale back a controversial immigration enforcement tactic, saying on social media that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should continue conducting traffic stops despite two recent fatal shootings involving the agency.

The push comes just a day after ICE had quietly paused non-emergency vehicle stops following the incidents, while it reviewed what happened and whether agents involved had been properly trained. One of the shootings took place in Maine, where a motorist was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent — the second such incident in the state within a week.

The fallout has been notably bipartisan at the local level. Maine’s Senator Angus King said federal authorities lack credibility on the matter and argued that local officials need a role in the investigation, while Republican Senator Susan Collins also faced criticism from state Democrats over her response to the shooting.

Trump defended the practice directly, writing that the country “must be strong, tough and smart” and cannot afford to lose one of ICE’s key enforcement tools.

The episode adds to a broader, ongoing debate in Washington over how aggressively immigration enforcement should operate — a debate playing out alongside separate Senate hearings this week on other administration nominees.

For readers abroad, particularly those with family or business ties to the US, stories like this are a useful gauge of how immigration enforcement policy is trending under the current administration.