ICE Press Release Spins Traffic Accident as "Dangerous Evasion" After Immigrant Hospitalized During Arrest

Agency Frames Traffic Collision as Criminal Defiance

Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a defensive statement Thursday describing a chaotic arrest attempt in Baltimore that resulted in a multi-car pileup and three hospitalizations, including the immigrant targeted for deportation.

According to ICE's own account, officers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on Ever Omar Alvarenga-Rios, a Honduran national with a final removal order, on the morning of April 2. The agency claims Alvarenga "drove recklessly through the streets of Baltimore" before "slamming on his brakes" and causing a collision involving multiple vehicles.

The press release states that Alvarenga then attempted to flee on foot and "continued to disobey law enforcement commands" before officers used what they described as "the minimum amount of force necessary to make the arrest."

All three individuals involved -- Alvarenga and two ICE officers -- were transported to a hospital for treatment. One officer sustained a concussion. Alvarenga remains hospitalized in ICE custody.

Agency Pre-Empts Criticism With Political Attack

The statement from acting Baltimore Field Office Director Vernon Liggins took an unusually combative tone, pre-emptively denying claims that Alvarenga was denied access to family or legal counsel -- allegations that had not yet been publicly reported at the time of the press release.

"It is deeply concerning that some Maryland politicians continue to push a narrative that misrepresents how our agency operates," Liggins said, pivoting to criticism of elected officials before any such criticism had emerged regarding this specific incident.

The press release devoted substantial space to attacking what it called "sanctuary politicians," listing by name several Democratic officials including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Dan Goldman, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. ICE accused these officials of hosting webinars and distributing materials advising immigrants of their legal rights during encounters with immigration enforcement.

Context Omitted From Agency Account

ICE's statement notes that Alvarenga entered the United States in 2014 and was released under the Obama administration, receiving a final removal order from an immigration judge in 2018. The agency did not explain why it took six years to execute that order, nor did it address whether Alvarenga had been reporting to ICE as required during that period.

The press release also does not specify what level of force officers used during the arrest, what commands Alvarenga allegedly disobeyed, or why a routine vehicle stop escalated into a multi-car collision and foot chase resulting in three hospitalizations.

The agency characterized the incident as "avoidable" while blaming politicians for providing legal information to immigrants.

Agency Claims Threats Against Officers Rising

ICE cited what it described as an "8,000% increase in death threats" against officers and a "more than 1,300% increase in assaults" without providing baseline numbers, time frames, or independent verification of these statistics.

The agency called on "sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement" -- language that frames informing immigrants of their constitutional rights as incitement to violence.

Federal law does protect the right to legal counsel during immigration proceedings, and the Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to have probable cause for arrests. Informing people of these rights is not obstruction of justice, despite ICE's characterization.

Questions Remain About Use of Force

The press release states that "obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime" but does not indicate whether Alvarenga has been charged with any such offense related to Thursday's incident.

ICE also did not address why a targeted operation to arrest a single individual with a six-year-old removal order resulted in a multi-vehicle collision, three hospitalizations including a concussion, and the detainee remaining hospitalized days later.

The agency's decision to issue a lengthy, politically charged press release about a single arrest attempt -- before any criticism had emerged -- suggests officials anticipated questions about how the operation was conducted.

As of publication, no independent witnesses to the incident have come forward, and no body camera or dashcam footage has been released.