ICE officers shoot driver during immigration operation in Maryland, authorities say

Federal agents shot into a van during an immigration operation in Maryland on Christmas Eve in an incident that left two men hospitalized, federal authorities said

Federal agents shot into a van during an immigration operation in Maryland on Christmas Eve in an incident that left two men hospitalized, federal authorities said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers approached a van in a quiet neighborhood in Glen Burnie, south of Baltimore, on Wednesday morning and instructed the driver to turn off the engine, according to Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. The department described the driver, who is from Portugal, and his passenger, who is from El Salvador, as being in the U.S. illegally; the driver had overstayed a visa that expired in 2009, the department said.

According to McLaughlin, the driver refused to turn off the engine and “drove his van directly at ICE officers,” hitting ICE vehicles as he tried to flee. McLaughlin said the agents fired their service weapons at the driver in self-defense.

The driver of the van was shot and crashed between two buildings, McLaughlin said. The passenger suffered whiplash in the crash. Both men were taken to a local hospital, where they are in stable condition, McLaughlin said. She said the ICE agents were “not severely injured.”

McLaughlin said the incident is under investigation.