Federal Immigration Agents Fire on San Bernardino Man’s Vehicle: What Happened and Why It Matters

Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection fired shots at a vehicle in San Bernardino around 8:40 a.m. on Saturday. They claimed the driver hit two officers with the car during an immigration enforcement operation. The driver managed to escape, and luckily, no one inside the vehicle was injured by the gunfire.

The family inside the car offered a different perspective on the events. They stated that masked agents broke the driver’s window and hit him before shots were fired. One family member, identified as Martin, described the scene from the back seat. He recorded the incident and shared photos showing bullet holes in the car. His video captured an officer breaking the driver’s window and appearing to assault the driver.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that two officers were hurt, but they did not detail how serious the injuries were. After the shooting, Martin’s family returned home and reported the incident to the San Bernardino Police Department. Local police found the damaged vehicle but did not assist federal officers since California law limits their involvement in immigration matters.

The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ) indicated that federal agents pressured the family outside their home for several hours without a warrant. As a crowd gathered, police were called back to help with crowd control. Authorities emphasized that their intervention was due to safety concerns, not an immigration-related enforcement action.

The man targeted by federal agents is a long-time U.S. resident with no criminal record. Martin expressed concern about his father-in-law’s attempts to obtain a green card, saying he has been denied multiple times despite being a hardworking citizen for over two decades. After the incident, the man was briefly detained but released without an arrest since federal officials lacked a warrant.

In a broader context, incidents like this highlight ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement. Recent statistics show that nearly two-thirds of immigrants living in the U.S. have been in the country for over a decade, often contributing significantly to their communities.

Martin and his family now live with fear, believing that this could happen again. “We’re always going to be looking over our shoulders,” he said, reflecting the growing anxiety many immigrant families face amid strict immigration policies. The IDigital Community Climate Report indicates that feelings of insecurity have risen among immigrant populations, underlining the importance of addressing these issues in a balanced and humane way.

For ongoing updates on immigration policies and community safety, you can refer to trusted sources like the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

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