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Federal authorities have arrested a 32-year-old man who was previously deported seven times after he allegedly dragged and struck an ICE officer with his vehicle in Chicago Heights.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago conducted the targeted enforcement stop on November 10.
Officials identified the suspect as Jose Juan Garnica-Naranjo, a 32-year-old Mexican national residing in the area.
Agents initially spotted Garnica-Naranjo leaving a residence in Chicago Heights before initiating a traffic stop.
When federal officers approached the vehicle and ordered Garnica-Naranjo to shut off his engine, he allegedly refused to comply.
As officers attempted to remove him from the car, Garnica-Naranjo accelerated away while an ICE officer was still partially inside the driver-side door.
Garnica-Naranjo drove over a raised median, throwing the federal officer out of the moving vehicle.
The suspect then struck the injured officer with his vehicle as he sped away from the scene.
Emergency medical personnel transported the injured officer to a local hospital with contusions, cuts, and scrapes to his leg.
Hospital staff confirmed the officer suffered no broken bones and later released him following medical treatment.
ICE agents tracked down Garnica-Naranjo and placed him into federal custody later that same day.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records show Garnica-Naranjo was deported from the United States seven separate times in 2013 before re-entering the country unlawfully.
Authorities also noted that Garnica-Naranjo has a prior criminal record that includes convictions for domestic violence and assault.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin condemned the attack and stated that federal immigration officers are facing a surge in on-duty assaults.
Mullin criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and sanctuary city policies, urging state leaders to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Garnica-Naranjo remains in federal custody pending criminal and immigration proceedings.
