A targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stop on Sept. 2 in North Brunswick, New Jersey, ended with a fleeing driver blowing a red light and rear-ending a Tesla driven by a mayor’s wife, according to local outlets. Republicans are blaming Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s immigration limits, while a Democratic member of Congress faulted ICE. The driver is in federal custody, ICE said.
What authorities and local outlets report
Township officials told NJ Patch that ICE agents conducted a targeted vehicle stop of an Acura around 7:30 a.m. on Route 130 in North Brunswick. The driver initially stopped, then sped away, ran a red light, and rear-ended a Tesla, News 12 New Jersey reported.
Behind the wheel of the Tesla was Dr. Penelope Cohen, wife of East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen. She was hospitalized with a leg injury described by officials as not life-threatening, according to the reports.
ICE account and custody status
In a statement quoted in the source material, ICE said: “ICE law enforcement officers conducted a vehicle stop Sept. 2, during a targeted ICE enforcement operation in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The illegal alien refused to exit the vehicle or comply with lawful commands from ICE officers. After repeated verbal warnings and due to officer safety concerns, ICE officers relied on their training and attempted to safely remove the illegal alien.”
The driver fled on foot before agents apprehended him; he is now in custody awaiting removal, and authorities have not released his name, ICE said.
The policy fight ignited by the crash
Republican lawmakers linked the crash to state “sanctuary” policies. GOP Assemblyman Paul Kanitra told Fox News Digital, “This is just the latest in a long line of traffic incidents and vehicular incidents that wouldn’t occur if New Jersey didn’t have our sanctuary status.” Republican state Sen. Mike Testa told Fox he believes shutting counties out of ICE’s 287(g) cooperation program “has only emboldened illegal aliens to engage in illegal behavior.”
The New York Post reported that Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the Immigrant Trust Directive into law on March 25, a measure it said limits how far local police can assist with federal civil immigration enforcement while still allowing enforcement of criminal statutes and honoring judicial warrants.
Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman publicly criticized ICE after the incident, writing on X that “ICE’s lawlessness is putting innocent people in harms way. #AbolishICE,” according to NJ Patch.
What’s still unclear
Authorities have not released the driver’s name, charging documents, or a detailed accident report in the material reviewed. The precise legal status of the driver and any pending state charges were not provided. DailyHeadlines.net has not independently verified the reported policy details attributed to the New York Post.
This report relies on information attributed to NJ Patch, News 12 New Jersey, Fox News Digital, the New York Post, and ICE’s statement as quoted in the source material. Human review is required before publication.
