An ICE agent was hit by a suspect driving a van in New Jersey on Monday morning, and the ICE agent opened fire at the vehicle, striking it multiple times. The ICE agents on the scene were attempting to take the suspect into custody.
The incident took place around 9:30 am on Monday in Stafford Township, which is around 60 miles east of Philadelphia. The officer’s condition was not immediately known, however, he is expected to recover from the incident, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Police said that ICE was attempting to capture the suspect when he fled in the vehicle described as a van. Rounds fired by the agent struck the vehicle and possibly blew out the back window of the van. Authorities were still in pursuit of the driver after the incident, and the suspect was not immediately apprehended. It is unclear why the suspect was being pursued.
A Stafford Township Police representative said that local law enforcement is not investigating the case as it was part of an ICE operation. However, the local authorities are managing traffic as Route 72 was closed down in the aftermath of the incident.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect was injured from the gunshots.
The incident appears to be part of an escalation of attacks on ICE agents. Between January 21, 2025 and January 7 2026, there were 66 reported attacks on ICE agents under the Trump administration compared to only two during that same time period in 2024, per the New York Post.
Earlier this year, Renee Good, an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after running her car into him on the street. Despite her car running into the agent, Democrats claimed that the ICE agent was guilty or murder instead of shooting in self-defense.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
