New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill is facing a firestorm of Republican criticism after an illegal immigrant running from federal immigration agents plowed into the wife of a local Democratic mayor, sending her to the hospital.
The crash unfolded on Sept. 2 when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted a targeted stop on a vehicle along Route 130 in North Brunswick around 7:30 a.m. Township officials say the driver initially pulled over, then sped off, blew through a red light, and rear-ended a Tesla.
Behind the wheel of that Tesla was Dr. Penelope Cohen, the wife of East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen. She was hospitalized with a leg injury that officials say was not life-threatening. The driver who caused the crash fled on foot before ICE agents caught up with him. He remains in custody awaiting removal, and authorities have not released his identity.
ICE defended its agents’ actions in a statement, saying officers conducted the stop as part of a targeted enforcement operation and that the driver refused to exit the vehicle or comply with lawful commands. The agency said that after repeated verbal warnings and out of concern for officer safety, agents relied on their training to safely remove him from the vehicle.
Republicans wasted no time linking the crash directly to Sherrill’s sanctuary state policies. New Jersey Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra said the incident was just the latest in a string of traffic wrecks tied to illegal immigrants that he argues would never happen if the state didn’t have sanctuary status, adding that New Jersey is simply reaping what it has sown.
State Sen. Mike Testa, also a Republican, pointed out that counties seeking to join ICE’s 287(g) cooperation program have been shut out under Sherrill’s administration, arguing that the policy has only emboldened illegal immigrants to break the law.
Sherrill signed the so-called Immigrant Trust Directive into law back in March, a measure that restricts how far local police can go in assisting federal civil immigration enforcement, though it still allows officers to enforce criminal law and honor judicial warrants.
Not everyone is placing blame on the governor. Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman instead pointed the finger at federal agents, writing on social media that ICE’s actions are putting innocent people in harm’s way and calling for the agency to be abolished.
The crash has become the latest flashpoint in the growing national battle over sanctuary policies, with Republicans arguing that soft-on-immigration laws in blue states are directly endangering American families, while Democrats continue to defend such measures as protecting community trust. As the political fight rages on, Dr. Cohen recovers from injuries inflicted by a man who, according to authorities, should never have been driving on New Jersey roads in the first place.
