The controversial U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has once again faced problems due to its tough law enforcement methods. Recently, another employee of ICE encountered trouble.
According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on October 10th, in the early hours of the 9th, a 72-year-old man in California, USA, shot and injured an ICE officer who was off duty. The suspected drunk and emotionally agitated officer is accused of attacking this man and his daughter at his residence.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in California reported that an ICE officer was shot in the abdomen and is currently receiving treatment. The police confirmed his identity as David Gonzalez, and he is facing felony charges for allegedly attacking the father and daughter.
It is currently unclear how long Gonzalez has worked for ICE and what specific position he holds. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which manages ICE, stated that all questions regarding Gonzalez are handled by the Fresno police.
According to Fresno police, around 3 a.m. on the 9th, a woman noticed that Gonzalez was sleeping on the lawn in front of her and her father’s house. She told her 72-year-old father, who was inside the house at the time, and then tried to get Gonzalez to leave their property.
But when Gonzalez was awakened, he appeared to be intoxicated and emotionally agitated. He physically attacked the 72-year-old man, knocking him to the ground. Police said that when the man’s daughter tried to intervene, Gonzalez also attacked her, knocking her down as well.
The police said that the father was worried about the safety of his daughter, so he fired at Gonzalez.
Soon after, the woman’s boyfriend arrived at the scene and handcuffed Gonzalez. The woman’s boyfriend was a police officer on leave.
Local law enforcement agencies stated that it is currently unclear why Gonzalez was in the area at the time of the shooting incident. However, it is confirmed that he was not on duty at that time and was alone.
Gonzalez is currently facing charges related to assault, which could result in serious bodily harm, as well as felony-level charges for intentional destruction of property.
The police said that the father and daughter are receiving treatment due to their injuries, and the police have not made any criminal charges against them.
This conflict is one of the latest cases where U.S. federal immigration enforcement officers have been investigated for suspected criminal activities. During Trump’s second presidency, ICE has continued to face criticism across the United States due to its aggressive measures involving arrests, detention, and deportations of immigrants.
According to reports, as ICE accelerates the recruitment of law enforcement officers to implement the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration removal program, U.S. congressmen have criticized the agency’s recruitment procedures.
In July of this year, an ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian immigrant in Bdiford City, Maine. It is reported that although this officer had a history of violence and mental health issues, he was hired by ICE not long ago.
In April of this year, a senior ICE officer in Cincinnati was arrested for allegedly concealing domestic violence allegations against him from the Department of Homeland Security.
In August this year, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, an organization that supports the rights of immigrants, released a report documenting more than 150 federal immigration enforcement officers who were accused of abusing others and committing criminal acts.
