‘Somebody could have been killed': Newark mayor rips ICE for multi-car crash

🚨 Juveniles were hurt after an ICE pursuit ended in a multi-vehicle crash in Newark

🚨 Mayor Baraka blasted ICE for what he called a reckless chase that violated NJ law

🚨 The Democrat signed an executive order prohibiting ICE activity on city property

NEWARK — ICE officers who pursued a van that took off during an investigation on Wednesday morning got into a crash with several vehicles, including some with kids, according to Mayor Ras Baraka.

Baraka said agents went after the van after it had left a stop on Shanley Avenue in the Clinton Hill section. They followed it until it crashed with two other vehicles at Clinton Avenue and 10th Street.

One of the vehicles was a ride share with two 15-year-olds and a 12-year-old, who were taken to University Hospital. The ICE suspect was also injured, the mayor said.

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Targeted operation

In a statement Thursday afternoon an ICE spokesperson said agents were targeting Christian Oswaldo Guevara-Guerra, an unauthorized immigrant previously charged with receiving stolen property.

Guevara-Guerra was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge in Newark in Oct. 2017, according to the agency. The statement also included examples of "sanctuary politicians" offering information on "how to openly defy ICE" including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, California Gov. Gavin Newsome and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Baraka slammed ICE for not following “local laws” regarding police pursuits, especially in a densely populated area where streets are still being cleared of snow from Sunday’s blizzard.

"ICE cannot come into our city and recklessly put innocent people in harm's way while they try to apprehend their targets," Baraka said.

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Baraka wrong about police chase policy

Baraka incorrectly said that "state law prohibits law enforcement from chasing vehicles unless the suspect poses an imminent threat."

The state guidance on police chases, changed in 2022, allows police to chase suspects accused of many types of first- and second-degree crimes, including car thefts and bias intimidation. The "imminent threat" factor is only a consideration for when police decide to use deadly force on a moving vehicle.

After the incident, Baraka signed an executive order prohibiting ICE from entering public buildings without a warrant, according to ABC 7 Eyewitness News. It also requires city workers to document any ICE activity they see.

“These are our people. And this behavior is in keeping with a rabid, lawless pattern seen nationally. Somebody could have been killed today in Newark today,” Baraka said.

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