County police are investigating as federal officials review the incident.
GLEN BURNIE, MD — Two people were injured after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents opened fire during an enforcement operation Wednesday morning, authorities said. Police said the agents shot at a van after the driver accelerated toward them, then the vehicle fled before stopping a short distance away in a wooded area.
The shooting, which happened on Christmas Eve in a residential area outside Baltimore, quickly drew attention because it involved federal immigration officers and gunfire in a neighborhood during a busy holiday. Anne Arundel County police said the injured people were taken to a hospital and were expected to survive. The county police department is investigating the shooting, while federal officials said the FBI is reviewing an alleged assault on the agents and ICE is conducting an internal review.
The incident unfolded at about 10:50 a.m. in the 500 block of West Court in Glen Burnie, police said. ICE agents with Enforcement and Removal Operations were attempting to stop a white van as part of what officials described as an enforcement and removal action. According to county police, agents approached the van and ordered the driver to stop, but the van moved toward the agents, who believed it was trying to run them over. The agents fired at the vehicle, and the van continued moving before coming to a stop in a nearby wooded area.
One of the people inside the van was struck by gunfire, police said. A second person was also injured, authorities said, though officials described the injuries as not life-threatening. Emergency responders arrived after the shots were reported and transported both injured people to a hospital for treatment. No ICE agents were reported injured, and county police said their officers were not involved in firing any shots. The identities of the injured people were not released by county officials in initial statements.
ICE said the two people in the van were in the country illegally, and the agency portrayed the incident as an example of rising hostility toward immigration officers. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that messages encouraging people to resist immigration enforcement can push confrontations toward violence. “When politicians and activists encourage others to resist ICE, it puts everyone at risk,” McLaughlin said, calling the events in Glen Burnie a warning of what can happen when officers are met with force.
County police said their detectives are handling the investigation into the shooting itself, which will typically include interviews, a review of any body-worn camera video, a canvass for surveillance footage and witness statements, and an examination of where shots were fired and where the vehicle traveled. Federal officials said the FBI is reviewing what they described as an assault on federal agents, a separate step that focuses on whether the driver’s actions amounted to a criminal attack on officers. ICE said it will also conduct an internal review of its agents’ use of force, a process that generally evaluates tactics, decision-making and compliance with policy.
The details released so far leave key questions unanswered. Officials have not publicly said how many agents were at the scene, how many shots were fired, or whether the van actually struck any vehicles or people before agents opened fire. Authorities also did not immediately say whether either of the injured people would face charges, or whether any arrest occurred at the scene after the van stopped. ICE did not confirm whether the people in the van had been taken into custody, saying only that the incident was under review.
The shooting occurred in a region where cooperation and tension between local governments and federal immigration enforcement have been a recurring issue for years. Glen Burnie sits in Anne Arundel County, between Baltimore and Annapolis, with neighborhoods that range from dense residential blocks to commercial corridors. The location and timing fueled unease among local leaders who said gunfire in a neighborhood can shake residents, especially during the holidays when families are home and children may be out of school.
County Council member Allison Pickard, who represents the district that includes the area, said she was worried about the danger posed by shots fired in a community setting. She said the incident was frightening for residents who were going about their day on Christmas Eve and raised questions about how operations like this are carried out in populated areas. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he was aware of the shooting and that state officials were monitoring the situation, though the investigation is being led by county and federal authorities.
Officials described the event as part of an “enforcement and removal” operation, but did not spell out the original purpose of the stop, such as whether agents were trying to arrest a specific person or serve a warrant. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division handles arrests and removals of people the agency says are in the country illegally, including those it says are subject to deportation orders. When officers attempt to detain someone in a vehicle, law enforcement experts say the situation can turn quickly if a driver tries to flee, because vehicles can become dangerous weapons in close quarters.
Use-of-force cases involving federal agents can take weeks or months to resolve publicly because multiple reviews can proceed at the same time. County investigators typically prepare findings for prosecutors to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in a shooting, while internal reviews by a federal agency can lead to discipline, policy changes, or referrals if misconduct is found. A separate federal review of an alleged assault on agents can also result in charges against a suspect, even if no charges are filed related to the shooting itself.
On Wednesday afternoon and evening, officials continued releasing limited information, emphasizing that the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Police said they were still gathering evidence from the scene and asked anyone who witnessed the incident to share information with investigators. ICE officials also continued to frame the episode as an example of dangers faced by agents, saying that confrontations during immigration operations have become more frequent and more volatile.
Residents in the area described a heavy law enforcement presence after the shooting, with emergency vehicles and investigators near the block where the incident began. Some neighbors said they were startled by sirens and the sound of activity in a typically quiet area. Others expressed concern that the confrontation happened so close to homes, saying they wanted a clearer accounting of what led to gunfire and whether anyone else was at risk as the van moved through the neighborhood.
Authorities have not announced any scheduled news conference, but county police said the investigation is ongoing and further updates would be released as facts are confirmed. Federal officials said their reviews were also continuing. For now, investigators are working to establish a precise timeline of the encounter, determine the actions of the driver and agents in the moments before shots were fired, and decide what legal steps, if any, will follow.
Author note: Last updated Dec. 25, 2025.