Protesters Demand ICE Removal: Rally at ICE Field Office in Baltimore After Shooting Incident
Protesters gathered at the ICE Field Office in Baltimore following a shooting involving ICE agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve. The incident involved ICE agents shooting and injuring the driver of a vehicle they claimed had rammed into their vehicle. The People's Power Assembly organized the protest, demanding the removal of ICE from Maryland and beyond. Protestors voiced their concerns and urged lawmakers to stop collaborating with ICE, advocating for the abolition of the agency and redirecting funds to more beneficial causes.
Witnesses reported that ICE agents had been following the driver, identified as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, from a nearby Walmart. The agents confronted him in a parking lot while he was occupied with a game on his phone. ICE officials stated that Sousa-Martins is an undocumented immigrant from Portugal, and there was another undocumented immigrant, Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel from El Salvador, in the passenger seat. When agents approached the vehicle and asked the driver to turn off the engine, he refused and attempted to escape. The situation escalated as the driver allegedly used his van to ram into multiple ICE vehicles and then drove directly at officers, prompting the agents to fire multiple shots.
The van eventually came to a stop in a wooded area, with the driver sustaining a gunshot wound and receiving medical treatment in stable condition. The passenger reportedly suffered a whiplash injury. Residents provided Ring camera footage of the incident to Anne Arundel County police, who are handling the shooting investigation. The FBI is investigating the assault against federal agents, while the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an internal inquiry to address the incident comprehensively.
Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad explained the multi-faceted nature of the investigation involving different agencies. The protestors expressed their support for proposed state legislation that aims to prohibit local police cooperation with ICE, aligning with their stance against ICE's presence and actions in the community. The demonstration highlighted the ongoing tensions and concerns surrounding immigration enforcement practices and the need for accountability and reform in handling such incidents.