Federal immigration enforcement officers have increasingly integrated aggressive vehicle maneuvers into enforcement operations, drawing criminal charges, civil lawsuits, and sharp criticism from community advocates and legal experts. Across the country, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have utilized unmarked cars to ram targets and monitor vehicles, execute sudden stops known as brake-checking, and strike pedestrians and cyclists during urban operations.
In Harris County, Texas, a grand jury indicted an ICE officer last week on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon following an October incident. According to investigators and surveillance footage, the officer’s unmarked vehicle struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, a Mexican national, in a parking lot as he fled on foot. The Department of Homeland Security asserted that Parra Hernandez ran in front of the government car, while defense counsel maintained that the officer committed no crime.
Similar vehicular encounters have been reported in multiple jurisdictions. In Long Beach, California, an unmarked ICE vehicle traveling the wrong way down a one-way street struck a bicycle ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, whose family reported he was subsequently hospitalized. Witnesses and video footage contradicted official statements claiming no contact occurred, showing the agency vehicle swerving into the cyclist while an agent drew a firearm. Three days later in Woodland, California, Antonio Moreida was struck by a black Chevrolet Tahoe as he documented an unmarked vehicle. Local police and the city’s mayor publicly disputed the Department of Homeland Security’s claim that Moreida jumped onto the hood, pointing to video evidence showing him standing in place.
Federal policies and operational memos characterize these maneuvers as offensive driving techniques. These tactics mirror broader patterns of aggressive driving by federal agents operating under expanded discretion. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump for a second term, the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection agency expanded agent discretion regarding vehicle pursuits and traffic maneuvers, rolling back a 2023 policy that largely prohibited officers from boxing in moving cars or making intentional contact.
Legal experts note that federal law enforcement personnel receive limited training tailored to civilian traffic interactions and urban pursuits. Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology and criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina who assisted federal agencies in revising car-chase guidelines, observed that federal entities often lack adequate preparation for complex street environments. In December, an Elgin, Illinois, pursuit involving ICE agents and a Venezuelan man ended in a crash after investigators concluded agents executed an unskilled precision immobilization technique, though the agency claimed the target rammed an enforcement vehicle.
Additional high-speed operations have resulted in severe civilian injuries and fatalities. In February, a high-speed ICE pursuit outside Savannah, Georgia, involving a driver with a civil deportation order resulted in a collision that killed a teacher. In New Jersey, two separate immigration chases led to hospitalizations. In response to mounting dangers, internal agency communications noted that Enforcement and Removal Operations divisions have moved to ban high-speed car chases, though trained agents retain the authority to conduct traffic stops and offensive driving maneuvers.
Community defense networks and legal observers report that aggressive driving tactics routinely target individuals monitoring federal operations. Leo Martinez, a volunteer with the Ventura County defense group VC Defensa, stated that unmarked government vehicles have repeatedly rammed his truck, resulting in his hospitalization and subsequent release without charges. Observers note that tactics such as brake-checking—where agents suddenly decelerate to force trailing vehicles to brake or collide—frequently occur during monitoring efforts.
In dense urban centers like New York City, rapid responders and pedestrian advocates warn that high-speed agency vehicles present severe safety hazards. Protesters and legal observers have documented multiple instances of unmarked vehicles accelerating toward crowds or near transit hubs following enforcement actions. While the Department of Homeland Security has maintained that agents are instituting expanded training covering crowd control and high-speed vehicle stops, civil rights advocates argue that the lack of external accountability allows hazardous driving practices to persist unchecked.
