An illegal immigrant with a prior criminal history was arrested Wednesday after allegedly dragging a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with his car while fleeing an arrest attempt outside Chicago, federal officials said.
Jose Garnica-Naranjo, 32, a Mexican citizen, was taken into custody a day after violently resisting a targeted immigration enforcement operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“This illegal alien used his vehicle to assault one of our ICE officers, hospitalizing the officer,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
“Thankfully, the officer has since been released from the hospital. This is just the latest example of the staggering rise in anti-ICE violence, with our officers facing a more than 1,600% increase in assaults against them.”
ICE officers spotted Garnica-Naranjo leaving a home in Chicago Heights on Tuesday morning. Officers followed his car at a distance before attempting to initiate a traffic stop, DHS said.
When officers approached the vehicle, they instructed Garnica-Naranjo to turn off the engine, but he allegedly refused to comply.
“When officers attempted to remove him from the vehicle, Garnica accelerated and fled while an ERO Chicago officer was partially inside the vehicle through the driver-side window,” DHS said in a statement.
Garnica-Naranjo then drove over a raised center median planted with trees, causing the officer to be thrown from the vehicle, according to authorities.
As Garnica-Naranjo fled, his car struck the injured officer, who was subsequently taken to a local hospital.
The officer suffered contusions, cuts and scrapes to his legs, though tests confirmed no broken bones.
ICE noted that Garnica-Naranjo’s criminal record includes prior convictions for domestic violence and assault.
Mullin blamed violence against immigration officers on rhetoric from Democratic elected officials who have accused ICE of terrorizing neighborhoods during law enforcement operations.
“This is the result of anti-ICE rhetoric from sanctuary politicians like Illinois Governor JB Pritzker,” he said.
“DHS is calling on Governor Pritzker and all other sanctuary politicians to knock off this violent rhetoric and start cooperating with ICE before any more officers are injured in the line of duty.”
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