Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending its enforcement tactics as the agency faces scrutiny following two fatal shootings in July and two vehicular incidents this month. NewsNation received an exclusive look at those tactics while accompanying ICE teams conducting targeted arrests in the Houston area.

During the operations, officers wore body cameras and badges while using flashing lights when approaching targets. ICE also said its personnel receive ongoing training to keep them current on agency procedures.

ICE says its Houston operation arrests an average of about 100 people who are in the country illegally each day. The team observed by NewsNation apprehended four of its five targets before 11 a.m.

The first arrest involved a man from El Salvador who was detained before he could enter his vehicle. ICE said officers had conducted surveillance in advance to establish his pattern of life and determine how to approach him safely.

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According to the agency, stopping a target before that person enters a vehicle is safer for officers, the target and others in the area. ICE described the detention as a “textbook arrest.”

ICE said the man had three DWI arrests, with the most recent occurring in 2024. The agency also said he had received a final order of removal after missing a court date.

Officers later joined a county constable to apprehend a second target at the local business where he worked. ICE said the man was from Mexico and was living in the United States illegally.

The agency said his criminal history included enticing a minor for indecent purposes in 2013 and a DWI in 2006. ICE also reported that the man had been arrested twice for driving without a license and had been ordered removed by a judge after missing a court date.

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The Houston operations unfolded amid criticism from lawmakers and local leaders who say officers sometimes fail to identify themselves during traffic stops or do not wear body cameras. Some critics have called for the traffic stops to end, while the Department of Homeland Security says they are essential for targeted arrests.

NewsNation observed officers wearing body cameras and clearly identifying themselves as they approached targets. Although the teams traveled in unmarked vehicles that ICE says are necessary for surveillance, the vehicles were equipped with lights and sirens that officers activated during the operations.

Bret Bradford, director of ICE’s Houston Enforcement and Removal Operations field office, said the agency will arrest anyone who is in the country illegally, not just those who have criminal records. He argued that the current rhetoric surrounding ICE has encouraged some targets to flee or attempt to evade arrest.

“We’re seeing in this environment right now with the rhetoric and everything that has emboldened these individuals to run, to flee, to evade arrest,” Bradford told NewsNation. “I think we are going after the worst of the worst, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only people we’re going after. If you’re in this country illegally, there’s a consequence.”

Bradford also highlighted a $3,000 cash incentive available to people who voluntarily leave the United States. “I would encourage folks to take advantage of that because we are going to continue enforcing the law,” he said.

Lawmakers in several states have encouraged businesses to prevent ICE teams from using their parking lots as staging areas. Bradford said ICE officers can use a parking lot if it is public and accessible to anyone.

Bradford said greater cooperation and a safer environment would allow his officers to perform their jobs more efficiently. He said the work would be “a heck of a lot easier” if the public understood whom the agency is pursuing and was not influenced by politicians and advocacy groups.

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