A second shooting in California sparks investigation after a week of escalating violence involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In Ontario on Thursday, ICE officers were conducting a vehicle stop when another driver, who was not the intended target, approached and refused to leave the area.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, officers ordered the driver to vacate the scene, but as he attempted to pull away, his car suddenly stopped and veered towards the officers, reversing in an attempt to run them over. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, fired defensive shots at the vehicle, causing it to flee the scene and abandon its occupant.
The incident is the second such shooting in the Los Angeles area in recent weeks. Last week, federal agents shot a man who livestreamed immigration enforcement operations on social media after he attempted to ram their vehicles and attacked officers. The victim suffered an elbow wound while a deputy US marshal was hit by a ricochet bullet.
These incidents come as the Trump administration seeks to expand its deportation operations across the country, with reports suggesting that ICE leadership is set to be overhauled in order to increase the pace of removals. Meanwhile, conditions within ICE facilities have raised concerns, with at least 16 people dying there between January and September.
The homeland security department described Thursday's shooting as "another example of the threats our ICE officers are facing day-in and day-out" while acknowledging a significant increase in assaults against agents, including vehicles being used as weapons. The agency emphasized that anyone who threatens or attacks federal officers will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, officers ordered the driver to vacate the scene, but as he attempted to pull away, his car suddenly stopped and veered towards the officers, reversing in an attempt to run them over. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, fired defensive shots at the vehicle, causing it to flee the scene and abandon its occupant.
The incident is the second such shooting in the Los Angeles area in recent weeks. Last week, federal agents shot a man who livestreamed immigration enforcement operations on social media after he attempted to ram their vehicles and attacked officers. The victim suffered an elbow wound while a deputy US marshal was hit by a ricochet bullet.
These incidents come as the Trump administration seeks to expand its deportation operations across the country, with reports suggesting that ICE leadership is set to be overhauled in order to increase the pace of removals. Meanwhile, conditions within ICE facilities have raised concerns, with at least 16 people dying there between January and September.
The homeland security department described Thursday's shooting as "another example of the threats our ICE officers are facing day-in and day-out" while acknowledging a significant increase in assaults against agents, including vehicles being used as weapons. The agency emphasized that anyone who threatens or attacks federal officers will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
this is getting so scary for ICE agents... I mean, I get it, their job is tough but you'd think they'd have some kinda protection 
like a police car or something, not just to rely on their wits and whatever they can do to defend themselves. And what's with all these shots being fired? It feels like an arms race out there 
it's hard to imagine anyone trying to run over an officer in real life... maybe this is why people are saying we need more mental health support for law enforcement 
and more resources to deal with the stress of their job 
California's escalating violence is getting outta hand... ICE agents are good cops too 
, we need to find a solution before someone gets seriously hurt 
this is getting outta hand...ICE's escalating violence is making ppl question their role 
think they're just doing their job, but maybe they should reevaluate what that means 
16 deaths in ICE facilities since Jan? That's a red flag 
we need systemic changes, not more guns and shoot-first policies 
, like how many times do we need to see ice officers get shot at? the whole thing just feels so preventable 
, can't they just talk it out or call for backup instead of resorting to guns? and what's with all these incidents happening in LA lately? 
it's like the system is just not working properly. i feel bad for the officers who are risking their lives every day, but at the same time, we need to make sure they're safe too 
. and can't we talk about the conditions in ice facilities instead of just focusing on these violent incidents? 16 deaths between january and september is just heartbreaking 