On the eve of Christmas in Glen Burnie, Maryland, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers opened fire on a van during an attempted arrest. As a result of the incident, two people were hospitalized, and an investigation is underway. This was reported by NBC News, writes UNN.
Details
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents stopped a vehicle carrying a Portuguese citizen (driver) and a Salvadoran citizen who are in the US illegally. DHS spokeswoman Trisha McLaughlin stated that the driver refused to turn off the engine and "drove his van directly at ICE officers," ramming their vehicles.
Agents opened fire with their service weapons at the driver in self-defense
The driver sustained a gunshot wound, and the passenger was injured in the crash; both are currently in stable condition. ICE officers did not sustain serious injuries.
Criticism and political tension
The incident sparked a sharp reaction from local authorities amid increased immigration operations by the Trump administration. Anne Arundel County Executive Stuart Pittman criticized the federal government's methods.
Federal law enforcement agencies operate in our jurisdictions without traditional notification to local police and often without identification. This is a recipe for violence, and that is what we experienced today in our county