Read our editorial on mass deportations here, and the ongoing struggle against it here.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers opened fire on two immigrants sitting in a vehicle in Maryland on December 24, sending both to the hospital.
The shooting took place in Glen Burnie, a suburb outside of Baltimore. Residents noted that ICE had not previously been active there, sparking confusion as to their presence.
ICE agents surrounded a vehicle with two immigrants inside it in a traffic stop before opening fire. In self-defense, the immigrants attempted to escape by driving their van away.
The driver, Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins from Portugal, was shot, and is reportedly in stable condition. After being shot by ICE, Sousa-Martins lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree, injuring the passenger Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel from El Salvador.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin soon justified the attack, claiming that the officers “feared for their lives” before shooting at the occupants. She also parroted the common accusation that the immigrants were using their vehicle as a weapon against ICE. Despite this, she then admitted that none of the agents sustained any injuries.
It appears that neither of the victims were arrested by ICE.
Across the country, ICE has become notorious for opening fire on immigrants and protesters and then claiming “self-defense.” A notable case is that of Marimar Martinez in Chicago, whose charges have since been dropped by U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis due to discrepancies in the prosecution, after she was shot 5 times by an ICE agent who made the same claim of self-defense but was later proven to be false.
The same day as the shooting, protesters gathered in Takoma Park, Maryland, where ICE has reportedly been staging its local activity for months, signaling that resistance to ICE will mount as their attacks against the working class continue.
Photo: Crashed van caused by ICE shooting. Department of Homeland Security.
The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today:
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
