An illegal immigrant with a prior criminal history was arrested Wednesday after allegedly dragging a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with his car while fleeing an arrest attempt outside Chicago, federal officials confirmed. 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 (DHS). Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated, “This illegal alien used his vehicle to assault one of our ICE officers, hospitalizing the officer,” adding that the officer has since been released and highlighting this as an example of a “staggering rise in anti-ICE violence, with our officers facing a more than 1,600% increase in assaults against them.” ICE officers initially spotted Garnica-Naranjo leaving a home in Chicago Heights and attempted a traffic stop, but he allegedly refused to comply when officers approached his vehicle. As officers attempted to remove him, Garnica-Naranjo accelerated and fled with an officer partially inside the vehicle through the driver-side window. He then drove over a raised center median, causing the officer to be thrown from the car, and subsequently struck the injured officer with his vehicle as he escaped. The officer sustained contusions, cuts, and scrapes to his legs but did not have broken bones. Garnica-Naranjo’s criminal record includes prior convictions for domestic violence and assault. Secretary Mullin attributed the violence against immigration officers to rhetoric from some Democratic elected officials, specifically mentioning Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and sanctuary city policies, urging them to cease such rhetoric and cooperate with ICE to prevent further injuries.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
