ICE Agent Struck by Fleeing Van in New Jersey, Opens Fire as Vehicle Attacks on Federal Officers Surge 3,200%

The suspect remains at large. The agent is expected to recover. And the numbers behind Monday's attack tell a story about what is happening to federal immigration officers across the country.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was struck by a van driven by a fleeing suspect Monday morning in Ocean County, New Jersey, and opened fire on the vehicle before the driver escaped the scene. The agent is expected to recover. The suspect remains at large.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. near Mermaid Drive in the Manahawkin community of Stafford Township, roughly 60 miles east of Philadelphia, according to NBC Philadelphia, as agents were attempting to take a suspect into custody. The agent fired multiple rounds at the fleeing vehicle, with the rear window of the van reportedly struck by gunfire. About two dozen ICE agents in tactical gear were seen at the scene, which was cordoned off with crime scene tape as Route 72 was closed in both directions.

ICE has not released a description of the suspect or confirmed whether the driver was injured. A federal investigation is ongoing.

Not an Isolated Incident

Monday's attack is part of a pattern that has become impossible to ignore. According to DHS data, vehicle attacks on ICE agents have surged more than 3,200 percent since President Trump took office for his second term. Between Jan. 21, 2025 and Jan. 7, 2026, ICE officers reported 66 vehicular attacks. During the same period the prior year, there were two.

DHS has attributed the increase directly to what it describes as "radical rhetoric from sanctuary politicians," arguing that hostile political messaging toward federal immigration enforcement has translated into physical attacks on the agents carrying it out.

A State That Has Chosen Its Side

The Stafford Township Police Department confirmed it was on scene handling traffic control and perimeter security but was not assisting in the ICE operation itself, consistent with New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, a statewide policy that limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The directive, championed by state Democrats as a protection for immigrant communities, means that in New Jersey, federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations are largely on their own.

Monday's attack illustrates what that looks like in practice. An ICE agent attempting to apprehend a suspect was struck by a vehicle and had to defend himself without local backup. The suspect drove away.

The agent is expected to recover. Whether the broader situation is recovering is a different question entirely.