At least two people were killed in a shooting at a strip mall near Cal State Northridge on Oct.2, 2026. LAPD responded to a call about a large party at The Artists Lounge when officers heard gunshots on arrival. (KABC)
At least two people were killed Friday in a shooting at a Los Angeles strip mall, according to police.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a 911 call about a large party at the mall near Cal State Northridge around 11 p.m. when officers heard gunshots, ABC local station KABC reported.
Two people were killed, and it was not immediately clear if there were other injuries, authorities said.
Officers were seen placing several people in handcuffs and taking them away after the shooting. Police hadn’t announced any arrests or released a suspect description as of early Saturday.
In this handout photo released by the Altoona Police Department, Luigi Mangione is seen in a holding cell after being taken into custody, Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. (Altoona Police Department via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — For the first time, the public can see the full body camera footage of Luigi Mangione’s arrest and his subsequent strip search at the Altoona Police Department in Pennsylvania.
The footage was released Friday after news outlets, including ABC News, petitioned the court.
Mangione was taken into custody in Altoona in December 2024, days after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. The video includes the search of Mangione’s bag when he was apprehended at an Altoona McDonald’s, the retrieval of the murder weapon and Mangione’s transport in a squad car.
This is the first time most of the footage has been seen outside court, including a redacted version of Mangione’s strip search.
The video included much of what was played during a three-week evidentiary hearing when defense attorneys argued the evidence should be suppressed. The judge decided much of it could be used but kept it under seal.
In August, Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal stalking counts in connection with Thompson’s killing, and now the Manhattan district attorney’s office is facing a deadline later this month to respond to Mangione’s motion to dismiss the state indictment against him.
Mangione admitted to the crime in federal court in August, saying, “I used a 3-D printer to make part of a gun, and I equipped the gun with the silencer and the magazine.”
“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” he said, adding, “I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
Mangione’s sentencing in the federal case is set for Dec. 18.
The Lyceum, oldest building on the campus of the University of Mississippi, April 12, 2008, in Oxford, Miss. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A father and son who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop were charged by federal prosecutors in connection with one of the two Ole Miss student deaths that took place last week.
U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary for the Northern District of Mississippi announced Friday that a criminal complaint was filed against Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, on charges with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances in connection with the death of Aidan Hamilton.
The father and son, who were arrested last week, worked at the smoke shop that allegedly sold illegal substances to Hamilton, investigators allege.
Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, was found dead on campus on Sept. 21, and investigators found “packages, some with missing tablets, of suspected kratom derivatives,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
“The cause of death appeared to be consistent with a drug overdose,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
An hour later, a second Ole Miss student, Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta, was found dead in a different location, and investigators also found “packages of suspected kratom derivatives,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Strang’s death was also consistent with a drug overdose, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Kratom products contain chemicals that can increase alertness, physical energy, and talkativeness. At higher doses, users may experience sedating effects.
The FDA has warned that kratom and especially concentrated synthetic 7-OH products can carry risks, including addiction, mental health concerns and other serious adverse effects.
Some jurisdictions in the country have banned the sale of kratom. Oxford, Mississippi, has banned the sale, possession and consumption of Kratom since 2019.
Advocates have called on the Food and Drug Administration for stricter regulations on the products and bans.
Toxicology reports on both deaths are still ongoing, according to investigators.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit was able to track Hamilton’s bank records and found that he made several purchases from Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford, Mississippi, the federal criminal complaint said.
After an undercover informant was able to purchase pills that were advertised as 7 O Kratom pills, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit officers executed a search warrant on Sept. 24 of the store and seized over 500 units of kratom, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Mississippi investigators arrested the father and son that day and charged them with possession of Schedule I controlled substances with intent to distribute.
Attorney information for the defendants wasn’t immediately available.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit also tracked Strang’s financial records and found he made purchases at Express Mart #7, a gas station convenience store in Yalobusha County, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers were able to go to the store and purchase similar pills to the ones found and have sent them off to crime labs for analysis, the criminal complaint said.
No one from that business has been charged as of Friday.
The fraternity house at the center of a rape allegation stands on the campus of Cornell University on September 30, 2026, in Ithaca, New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — One of the Cornell fraternity brothers who allegedly attacked Jane Doe appeared to show remorse days later, writing to her in a text message that was showed to ABC News, “I just wanted to apologize for how things went down the other night.”
She responded, “At the end of the day non [sic] of the sexual stuff was illegal and honestly I really liked being with u.”
Nearly two weeks later, Jane Doe’s view appeared to change, according to the text exchange: “Let’s be clear that 90% of what happened that night was not consensual,” Jane Doe wrote. “All i remember after that was you giving me ket[amine].”
She said it made her feel “like a sex doll/worker.”
Days after those text messages Jane Doe went to campus police. Authorities memorialized her first report: “A female undergraduate student reported that she was recently raped by 8-10 men at the Chi Phi fraternity house.”
Those new details were included in the lengthy confidential investigative report compiled by Cornell and reviewed by ABC News. Newly obtained videos from that probe show the bedroom in the fraternity house where Jane Doe alleged she was gang raped. It was left strewn with garbage, leftover food and discarded furniture after Cornell University suspended the Chi Phi chapter.
On the bedroom floor, there is a composite photo of every member of a sorority class, a fentanyl test, beer cans and liquor bottles littering the space.
ABC News has also obtained an extended version of the Snapchat group chat shared among more than 50 fraternity brothers during the alleged assault.
The frat brother who invited Jane Doe to the house that night sent a photo to the chat that appears to show her in the bedroom.
Another asked, “Are you guys at least naked??”
He replied, “Boys come whip it out.”
On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she issued an executive order to appoint Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the alleged gang rape that took place in 2024.
“Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University’s campus,” Hochul said in a statement.
USA, New York, Finger Lakes Region, Ithaca, Cornell University, elevated view of McFaddin Hall, summer (Walter Bibikow/Getty Images)
An upstate New York prosecutor this week reopened an investigation into a 2024 incident at Cornell University in which a former undergraduate student filed a lawsuit alleging she was drugged and raped by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Here is a timeline of key events in the case based on ABC News reporting, police documents, official statements from Cornell and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office, and a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe.
August 2022 –Jane Doe begins her freshman year at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Oct. 18, 2024 – An individual overdoses on ketamine “on or about October 18, 2024” at the Chi Phi fraternity house, according to a heavily redacted report obtained by ABC News that was prepared by Cornell University from a series of hearings the university held in 2025 as part of its internal investigation of Jane Doe’s allegations.
Oct. 19-20, 2024 – Jane Doe alleges she was drugged and “gang raped” by seven men during a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house to which she was invited by one of the men she has accused of assaulting her, according to Jane Doe’s lawsuit. She arrived at the party, according to investigation documents, already intoxicated after consuming alcohol at her sorority house and at two bars.
In a later statement to police, Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time, said she was carded when she entered the bars, and one of the establishments marked her hand with an X indicating she was under 21, and the other gave her an under-21 wristband to wear. However, she says she was able to purchase a drink at one of the bars and only briefly stayed at the other, but made no mention of ordering alcohol there. Neither bar has issued a statement.
Jane Doe says she continued drinking alcohol once arriving at the Chi Phi fraternity house and accepted drugs before agreeing to participate in a sexual threesome and subsequently losing consciousness. One of the drugs Jane Doe alleges she was forced to ingest is ketamine.
Oct. 20, 2024 – In the early morning hours, one of the fraternity members allegedly messages the fraternity’s Snapchat group to claim there was “free” sex upstairs.
Oct. 23, 2024 – Jane Doe exchanges text messages with the man who invited her to the Chi Phi fraternity house party, later identified in her civil lawsuit as Male No. 1. Apparently referring to rumors spreading about the sexual activity that occurred at the fraternity, she writes, “My reputation is destroyed and I’m utterly ashamed.” In the same exchange, she also texts, “everyone needs to grow up because sexuality and sex and [stuff] is changing and stuff like this is going to become more common. i’m also really open minded tho. i love u king.”
Oct. 30, 2024 – In another text message, Jane Doe writes to Male No. 1 that she was “uninvited” to a Chi Phi event. “i know this was going to happen. the woman will always get the short end of the stick,” she writes. “yall aren’t my friends. yall are covering your a****.”
Nov. 7, 2024 – In a text message to Jane Doe obtained by ABC News, Male No. 1 writes he is concerned he is “being labeled an assaulter.” Jane Doe replies in part “I haven’t said anything” and in the same text exchange also says, “i know there are rumors i was gang banged.”
Nov. 8, 2024 – Jane Doe writes to Male No. 1 in a text message, “i think i’m done talking to you. i know you lied.” That same day, she files a report with the Cornell University police, telling them about the alleged sexual incident that occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house between her and members of the fraternity. Also that same day, the university places the Chi Phi fraternity chapter on temporary suspension for alleged violations of the student code of conduct and issues temporary suspensions to several students involved in the incident.
Nov. 14, 2024 –Jane Doe makes a formal statement to Cornell campus police, who ask the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office to review it and determine whether a crime had been committed. Prosecutors decide not to file charges.
Nov. 26, 2024 –Cornell Interim President Michael Kotlikoff issues a statement describing “serious and deeply disturbing allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence at the Chi Phi fraternity house.” The statement says campus police “continues to pursue its criminal investigation” and the university’s “Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX have been diligently reviewing all reported information regarding the many allegations that have been received pertaining to events at the fraternity.”
The statement further says that the Chi Phi fraternity “remains under a temporary suspension order that was issued on November 8, 2024, for alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. In addition, late last week, interim measures in the form of temporary suspensions were issued for a number of students to protect the immediate physical health and safety of all students.”
In a statement, Cornell says the Chi Phi fraternity was closed in 2024 and “remains barred from campus.”
Trey Robb, the interim executive director of Chi Phi Fraternity, says in a statement that all the accused members were kicked out of the Cornell chapter within three days of Jane Doe filing her police report in 2024.
Jan. 14, 2025 –Cornell commences a Title IX investigation in response to Jane Doe’s formal complaint filed with the university’s Title IX coordinator, according to Jane Doe’s lawsuit.
Feb. 6, 2025 – Kolikoff and Cornell Provost Kavita Bala announce the establishment of the Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault, “to focus on addressing and preventing sexual assault on campus – a serious and persistent problem, both nationally and here on our campus.” The announcement says the task force will deliver a report that summer “that outlines evidence-based strategies for addressing sexual assault at Cornell, including a timeline for implementation, metrics for success, and a plan to institutionalize this work.”
May 2 to May 29, 2025 – Cornell’s Title IX Office conducts at least 12 hearings on Jane Doe’s allegations, conducting 50 interviews with 32 witnesses, including the men Jane Doe alleges assaulted her. According to a heavily redacted report of the hearings obtained by ABC News, Jane Doe describes her night at a fraternity house surrounded by multiple men: “I felt like bait,” she says. ‘I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in.”
Nov. 4, 2025 – Cornell releases the results of the 2025 Cornell Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct (SARM), showing 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact involving force or incapacitation since attending Cornell.
Sept. 16, 2026 – Jane Doe files a civil lawsuit against Cornell, the Chi Phi chapter, her Delta Delta Delta sorority, and others, including the seven men she alleges drugged and raped her at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Sept. 21, 2026 –The Cornell Daily Sun, the student newspaper, publishes an editorial condemning the university’s handling of the incident. “Cornell has failed to protect its students,” the editorial says, in part.
Sept. 27, 2026 – Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten issues a statement saying that after speaking with Jane Doe and her attorney, he is reopening the investigation. Van Houten further said that in her sworn statement to Cornell police, Jane Doe did not allege she was drugged against her will or gang raped. “On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual,” says Van Houten, who releases a summary of Jane Doe’s initial police statement.
Sept. 28, 2026 – Lawyers for two of the seven men accused in the case, Scott Kretzschmar and Scott Norris, issue statements denying their clients were involved in the alleged sexual assault.
The same day, the Ithaca Police Department issues a statement saying that the sexual assault alleged by Jane Doe “was not reported to the Ithaca Police Department,” which “learned of these allegations recently through the media.”
Responding to questions about why the university didn’t bring in the Ithaca police to investigate the allegations, Cornell issues a statement saying, “The Cornell University Police Department is a unit of the university, and its officers are special deputy sheriffs pursuant to NY Educational Law 5709 whose duties include the enforcement of law and order on Cornell property. This incident occurred in Cornell’s jurisdiction.”
Sept. 29, 2026 –New York Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for an outside investigation into Cornell University’s campus culture and its response to Jane Doe’s allegations. In an interview with ABC News that same day, Van Houten defends his office’s 2024 decision not to bring charges in the case while at the same time describing the allegations as “morally disturbing.”
Later that day, Hochul says Cornell University agrees to initiate an independent investigation, and the university issues a statement saying, “Cornell shares Governor Hochul’s commitment to addressing campus culture issues, which affect universities across the nation and New York. We are committed to continuing to work with state officials to advance student safety and wellbeing.”
ABC News obtains the full statement Jane Doe gave to Cornell police in October 2024. In parts of the statement not included in Van Houten’s summary, Jane Doe told officers that the incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house “felt like coercion.”
That same day, an attorney for Gillio Lopes, a third man accused in the alleged rape, issued a statement denying the allegations against his client.
Oct. 1, 2026 – Hochul on Thursday said she issued an executive order to appoint Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the alleged “gang rape” that took place at a Cornell fraternity in 2024.
“Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University’s campus,” Hochul said in a statement.
“This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public’s faith, in the District Attorney’s ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time,” Hochul added.
In a statement, James said she is “ready to lead a process New Yorkers can trust, guided by the facts and the law.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference regarding legislation on artificial intelligence on September 21, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday said she issued an executive order to appoint Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the alleged “gang rape” that took place at a Cornell fraternity in 2024.
“Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University’s campus,” Hochul said in a statement.
“This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public’s faith, in the District Attorney’s ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time,” Hochul added.
In a statement, James said she is “ready to lead a process New Yorkers can trust, guided by the facts and the law.”
“Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly. The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,” James said.
The appointment of James as special prosecutor comes five days after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he would reopen the investigation into the former student’s allegations.
Late last month, the former student, listed as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and “gang raped” by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell.
Van Houten said in a statement on Sunday that his office was considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, though he said the allegations in the civil complaint are “dramatically different” than the woman’s statement to police two years ago.
In an interview with ABC News, Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and said his office didn’t “independently investigate” the allegations.
On Wednesday, Cornell University agreed to initiate an independent investigation into how the Ivy League school handled the allegations, Hochul told ABC News.
Hochul called for the outside review, saying the allegations raised “serious questions about Cornell campus culture” and whether the university is doing all it can to protect students.
“Cornell shares Governor Hochul’s commitment to addressing campus culture issues, which affect universities across the nation and New York. We are committed to continuing to work with state officials to advance student safety and wellbeing,” a Cornell spokesperson said in a statement provided to ABC News.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Hispanic Heritage Month event in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 30, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A federal judge on Thursday ordered a U.S. attorney from Western Washington who was fired by President Donald Trump in July to immediately be reinstated to the position, and is barring the Justice Department from again attempting to replace him.
The ruling from U.S. District judge Stanley Bastian is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s battle with the judiciary over DOJ efforts to install U.S. attorneys around the country without Senate confirmation.
Federal judges appointed Rogoff to the post that oversees federal prosecutions in Seattle in July, and he was fired by President Trump through an email roughly an hour later.
Rogoff then filed suit citing similar cases around the country where the Trump administration had unsuccessfully sought to install attorneys and extend their service indefinitely, which judges appointed by both parties have ruled clearly violates the appointment statute.
The Justice Department said it disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal and seek a stay.
Judge Bastian ruled from the bench in Thursday’s proceeding granting Rogoff’s request for a preliminary injunction — and further enjoined Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Executive Office of the President from taking any further moves to effectuate his termination.
Former Olympian David Hearn outside DC Superior Court in Washington, DC, July 9, 2026. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn says he is “relieved” after a Washington, D.C. judge permanently dismissed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism case against him, ending the possibility that prosecutors could recharge him.
Hearn was indicted this summer and prosecutors alleged that he ripped a piece of the lining from the pool while he was out on a bike ride.
The charges were rolled out in a press conference where U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Hearn “forcefully and violently” vandalized the pool and that they had proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
President Donald Trump had insisted the damage to the pool, a key renovation project of his, was the work of vandals, but Pirro later said that evidence surfaced that renovations to the pool had caused the damage. Hearn had faced up to 10 years in prison in connection with the case.
Speaking exclusively to “Good Morning America,” Hearn called Thursday’s ruling “a victory for democracy.”
“I’m relieved,” Hearn said. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody. Anybody in this country.”
Asked what he meant, Hearn said people could be “targeted and unfairly accused of something they didn’t do.”
“Nobody should feel they’re immune from this kind of abuse of power,” he said.
Hearn said he believes Pirro and Trump owe him an apology.
“Do you think the president should apologize to you?” Hearn was asked.
“Yes,” Hearn said.
“Do you think he will?”
“You know, if pigs fly, maybe,” Hearn said.
Just six weeks after Hearn’s arrest, Pirro dropped the charges, President Trump subsequently criticized Pirro over the decision, saying she “choked.”
The Justice Department wanted to preserve the possibility of bringing the case again, but In his ruling Thursday, Judge Todd Edelman dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Hearn cannot be charged again over the same allegations.
Edelman also addressed Trump’s public comments about the case, writing that despite there being no evidence of a crime, the president’s public pressure created “a risk that Mr. Hearn will be prosecuted nonetheless.”
Hearn said the experience has shaken him and that the past few months have been “difficult” while thanking those who rallied around him during the case.
He and his attorney, Norm Eisen, are also considering whether to pursue legal action against Trump or the administration.
Eisen told ABC News that they are “actively” considering their options and that “nothing is off the table.”
An exterior view of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency headquarters is seen, July 6, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
A new facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, may begin receiving undocumented families with children, local officials and immigrant rights advocates say.
The 528-bed facility will house families with children, unaccompanied minors, and single adult females as they await removal inside renovated former Air Force barracks at England Airpark, a former military base that now houses the Alexandria International Airport and an immigration detention facility, according to a draft agreement between ICE and the England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) reviewed by ABC News.
A communications manager for EEIDD told ABC News the facility could start receiving people “within the next week or two.”
The facility would be the second constructed to house children since President Donald Trump’s second term began but is the first to hold unaccompanied minors who are usually held in shelters under the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services before deportation or release.
A board of commissioners that governs the airpark approved the facility in February amid protests from local residents.
The facility will be managed by LaSalle Family Foundation, a nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison company that manages several immigration detention centers across the country. Daily operations will be run by Anovaeon, which describes itself as a humanitarian response company. The operators are calling the facility the Alexandria Family Staging Center and say it will house people who are voluntarily self-deporting or voluntarily leaving the country, for an average stay of under 48 hours.
Last week, Robert Hagen, the project manager for LaSalle Family Foundation told commissioners the facility was 95% completed.
During board meetings that have at times become contentious with police having to removeopponents of the plans, operators of the facility have attempted to push back against the notion that it’s a detention center.
“This project right over here is not a detention center, it’s a staging center for families who are voluntarily departing this country, admittedly through pretty crappy circumstances on their end. I acknowledge that,” Anovaeon CEO Eric Fritz said at a commissioner board meeting last week.
Fritz said the facility will provide medical care, mental health care, “quality meals,” soccer fields and free international calling, among other resources.
A pamphlet distributed during one of the board meetings and obtained by ABC News said migrant families will be held in a “non-detained” setting at the facility. However, during last week’s board meeting, Anovaeon Senior Director of Operations Jeffrey Lynch acknowledged operators would have to alert ICE if someone attempted to leave the facility.
“I think what we would do is, we would approach the individual, say ‘Look, you’re part of this program. It’s in your best interest to follow through with the program,'” Lynch said. “If they were adamant about it, I think we would open the gate but at the same time we would be in communication with ICE, letting them know what’s happening.”
There’s an ICE office “literally steps away” from the facility, Lynch added.
“They’re literally steps away and they would be there to either intervene, convince them to come back in, or take whatever steps they would take as part of their case management practices,” Lynch said.
A draft of the Intergovernmental Service Agreement between DHS and the EEIDD obtained by the advocacy group National Immigration Project and reviewed by ABC News said one of the purposes of the agreement is to provide “ICE alien detention in a secure environment under the authority of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”
A communications manager for the EEIDD said she could not share the final agreement with ABC News, noting that ICE had to sign off before it could be shared.
At a press conference on Wednesday, immigrant rights groups and attorneys denounced the facility and raised concerns that the property was contaminated with PFAS.
“There can be no hiding what this is, this is a detention center. People are not free to leave,” said Stephanie Alvarez-Jones, Southeast Regional Attorney for the National Immigration Project.
DHS, EEIDD and Anovaeon did not respond when asked to address concerns about possible contamination, or whether people would be restrained at any point during their stay or during removal.
DHS did not provide an estimate of when the facility would open.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson called it a “staging facility for deportations”
“A staging facility iswhere illegal aliens await their deportation flight to their destination country or transfer to a detention facility,” the spokesperson said.
ABC News’ Ely Brown and Laura Romero contributed to this report.
ICE agents depart the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (John Moore/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is changing its policy on which officers can stop vehicles, and what is required to do when they’re stopped, according to sources familiar with the change.
Formal guidance was issued to officers this week, sources said. This comes after several high-profile vehicle stops ended in shootings.
Only those ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who have completed the relevant training may participate in the stops, according to the sources, who said others who aren’t properly trained could only offer assistance, but not be the main officer in charge of the stop.
In addition, only officers that have lights and sirens on their government-issued vehicles are allowed to stop cars, according to the sources.
Earlier this summer, in the wake of two back-to-back fatal shootings — one in Texas and one in Maine — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin temporarily paused traffic stops as ICE officers were set to receive new training.
However, President Donald Trump and others were reportedly furious about the pause, and Trump later overturned it, according to multiple sources at the time.
The new guidance doesn’t prohibit vehicle stops, according to sources.
ABC News has reached out to DHS for comment on the new policy.
The new changes were first reported by CNN.
Last month, A Venezuelan migrant delivering for DoorDash was shot by an ICE officer in Austin, Texas.
Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez has been charged with assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
The criminal complaint alleges that during a traffic stop, immigration officers asked Wilber Garces-Perez “to place his vehicle in park and step out–orders which he allegedly ignored.”
The complaint alleges Garces-Perez led them on a high-speed chase before one of the officers “caught up to Garces-Perez, who allegedly attempted to strike the officer with his car, causing the officer to fire his pistol.”
Attorneys for Garces-Perez said he still has a bullet lodged in his back.
