Stacie Halpern
Role at the time: Criminal defense attorney representing ICE officer Brian Palacios
Statement summary
Stacie Halpern, a criminal defense attorney representing ICE officer Brian Palacios, told The Guardian by phone that her client was defending himself and the community when he shot Porter. She repeated ICE's assertion that Porter had fired at the officer.
“defending himself and the community”
Guardian report on the family's demand for charges, updated January 16, 2026 with comment from the officer's attorney by phone.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
Reference point: whether the off-duty ICE agent was justified in fatally shooting Porter. Halpern describes the shooting as lawful self-defense and defense of the community, which argues that it was justified, so we used Defended or excused. Challenged the characterization is close, but she does more than dispute the family's account; she affirmatively endorses the shooting. Evidence: a reputable report quoting her by phone; we did not find a recording or written statement from her. ABC7 Los Angeles separately reported that she said Palacios acted in self-defense.