An ICE agent in New Jersey was struck by a van driven by a fleeing suspect and opened fire on the vehicle, striking it several times, authorities said.
The incident happened Monday morning around 9:30 a..m. near Mermaid Drive in Stafford Township’s Manahawkin community, about 60 miles east of Philadelphia as the agency was trying to capture a suspect.
The officer’s condition was not immediately known, but sources told NBC Philadelphia that he is expected to recover.
ICE has not released a description of the suspect or revealed whether the driver was injured. The outlet reports the van’s back window may have been blown out when the agent fired his weapon.
It was not immediately clear why the suspect was being pursued.
Route 72 where the incident took place is closed in both directions as authorities investigate and hunt for the van and driver.
Aerial footage from the scene showed about a two-dozen ICE agents wearing tactical gear, and the area was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape.
Vehicle attacks against ICE agents have surged more than 3,200% since President Trump took office for his second term, an alarming uptick federal officials have blamed on “radical rhetoric from sanctuary politicians.
CE Agent Struck by Fleeing Van in NJ Manhunt
An federal officer opened fire on the vehicle during an attempted capture in Stafford Township; a suspect search is underway.
Between Jan. 21, 2025 and Jan. 7, 2026, agents reported 66 attacks compared to only two during the same period in 2024, according to DHS data provided to The Post.
