ICE Agent Struck by Suspect’s Vehicle During Arrest Attempt in New Jersey

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent trying to make an arrest was struck by the fleeing suspect’s vehicle, prompting the agent to open fire, officials in New Jersey said on Monday.

In a statement posted on social media, the Stafford Township Police Department in New Jersey said it received a report on Route 72 in Manahawkin where an ICE agent “was attempting to apprehend a suspect when the suspect fled from the scene in a vehicle” and struck the agent.

“The agent discharged his firearm at the vehicle, reportedly striking it,” the department added. “The suspect fled the scene in the vehicle and has not been located at this time. The agent reportedly sustained unknown injuries and it is unknown if the suspect was injured at this time.”

The office added that “there is no reason to believe there is any concern for the public’s safety,” although it did not provide further details.

Stafford Township police officers did not assist ICE in the apprehension effort, the office said, adding that it was adhering to a directive issued by the state attorney general, known as the Immigrant Trust Directive, that prohibits local law enforcement from working with federal immigration officials.

“The ongoing investigation is not being conducted by Stafford Township Police,” the statement further said. “Our role at this point is to manage traffic and secure the crime scene.”

The police department said that people should avoid the area around Route 72 near Mermaid Drive in Manahawkin, around 35 miles north of Atlantic City, due to an investigation that will last for several hours.

Monday’s incident highlights tensions between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, and New Jersey state officials following protests in front of the Delaney Hall illegal immigrant detention center in Newark this month.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said recently on multiple occasions that he could suspend Customs and Border Protection work at some U.S. airports due to what he said were Democratic-run states’ use of “sanctuary” laws that generally block local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. The Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey is considered a major international airport that is one of several serving the New York City metropolitan area.

In May, Mullin told Fox News’ “The Sean Hannity Show” that he is “drawing up plans” to halt customs processing at airports and that U.S. authorities “shouldn’t be processing international flights into [sanctuary cities]” because “local radical left Democrats” aren’t allowing local officials to enforce federal laws around immigration. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) last year released a list of cities with sanctuary policies, including several New Jersey municipalities such as Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken. 

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement last week that she received a “closely controlled and limited tour” of the Delaney Hall facility in Newark and that she wasn’t “allowed to meet or speak directly with the detainees, which continues to raise serious questions about the real conditions of the facility.”

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said last week that ICE agents are set to be surged in New York City because of the state’s decision to pass a sanctuary law last month.

“You are going to see more ICE agents than you have ever seen in New York City. And it’s coming. I just reviewed an operational plan. I’m not going to tell you exactly when it’s going to happen, but it’s coming,” Homan told “Fox and Friends” earlier this month.

The Stafford Township Police Department and DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.