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What we know about the incident

• The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office in California is assisting with a shooting involving agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The incident occurred near Sperry Avenue and Interstate 5, between San Jose and Modesto.
• Authorities said no local law enforcement officers were involved in the incident. The “suspect” was taken to a local hospital for further medical attention, the sheriff’s office said.
• There will be road closures and a large law enforcement presence for an undetermined period, causing significant traffic delays, the sheriff’s office said.

Person shot by ICE in critical condition, county officials say, adding FBI will lead investigation

A sheriff’s sergeant said the person shot by ICE officers has been taken to a local hospital and is in critical condition.

Sgt. Veronica Esquivez, speaking with reporters in Spanish, said the shooting victim was the only one who was hurt in the incident.

Asked for a message to the broader community, Esquivez said that it was a unique event and that the community should not be scared.

ICE spokesperson Todd Lyons had identified the man as Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, an alleged gang member from El Salvador, and has said the shooting took place after a “targeted vehicle stop.”

Esquivez said that the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Department does not work with ICE but that it responded to the shooting after it initially got a call about shots fired and helped secure the scene.

The FBI has assumed primary responsibility for the investigation and asked the public to share information or videos of what happened online. 

ICE has been under the microscope after months of tensions

For the last year, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has been under intense public scrutiny as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement.

There were at least 14 shootings involving ICE between September and March, which included shootings of suspected criminals, immigrants who lack permanent legal status, and U.S. citizens. It is not clear how many of the shootings federal authorities have fully investigate,d as there have been no public reports of any findings.

In addition to the use of force, some have criticized the administration for going after undocumented immigrants without criminal histories and those in the process of obtaining citizenship through the legal system. Critics have also taken issue with the detention of young children.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly defended his immigration policies, which was a cornerstone of his re-election campaign.

Tensions came to a head in January, when federal officers flooded into Minneapolis and its surrounding area as part of an immigration crackdown. They were met with widespread protest.

Two U.S. citizens were fatally shot — Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Their deaths ignited a national outrage. The Trump administration withdrew most of its immigration enforcement from Minnesota. Former Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem was fired weeks later and replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.

Democrats are insisting on reforms on how ICE and Customs and Border Patrol operate in return for funding the Department of Homeland Security, which has been in a shutdown since Feb. 14. Republicans have yet to come to an agreement with their counterparts on the matter.

Video from bystander shows ICE shooting at vehicle

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Caroline Radnofsky,  Marin Scott, and Video from a bystander shows the moment ICE officers opened fire on a vehicle in Patterson, California.

The video shows a hatchback vehicle on the side of the road with at least three law enforcement officers surrounding it. The hatchback is between two larger vehicles in an area that matches where the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting occurred.

NBC News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the video.

At least one of the officers is in front of the driver-side window and seems to lean forward before the hatchback reverses into a truck behind it. The passenger-side door is open and seems to be heavily damaged in the crash.

Seconds later, the video shows the hatchback moving forward and turning toward the road as officers appear to pull weapons and point them at the vehicle. There is no audio in the clip seen by NBC News.

The hatchback accelerates across the road’s median, hitting the road hard enough that two hubcaps come off the wheel, before the clip ends.

FBI confirms it is investigating ICE shooting

Insiya Gandhi

The FBI’s field office in Sacramento is responding to the shooting in Patterson, California, it confirmed in a statement that noted the investigation is “in its early stages.”

“We are conducting a thorough investigation in partnership with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office and are grateful for the Patterson community’s continued patience and support,” the FBI said.

ICE officers were seeking a gang member before shooting, DHS says

Doha Madani

ICE officers were attempting to arrest a man who is allegedly a gang member wanted in El Salvador prior to the shooting this morning in Patterson, according to a statement from Todd Lyons, acting director of the agency.

ICE identified the man as Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, saying he is a member of the 18th Street Gang. Hernandez is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder, and ICE officers attempted to arrest him in a “targeted vehicle stop,” Lyons said.

“As officers approached the car, the wanted gang member weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over,” Lyons said in the statement. “Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public.”

The FBI is at the scene of the shooting, the statement added.

No details yet on suspect’s condition, sheriff’s office says

Doha Madani and  Insiya Gandhi

There is no information yet on the status of the individual who was shot, according to a spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.

The person, identified only as a “suspect” by the sheriff’s office, was transported to a local hospital. The spokesperson added that the sheriff’s office does not provide information on which hospital individuals are taken to for medical care.

NBC News has reached out to multiple medical centers in the area, but some said they do not take trauma patients. A hospital in the nearby city of Turlock referred NBC News to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office when asked if it had received a patient in the incident.

Homeland Security still without funding as Congress debates ICE reforms

Doha Madani

The Department of Homeland Security is still in a shutdown as Congress remains at odds over Democrats’ push to implement reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

It’s been nearly two months since the department’s funding lapsed on Feb. 13, and lawmakers have not been able to come to an agreement on the future of the embattled agency. Democrats have insisted on implementing changes to ICE after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed during the surge of federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Congress is currently in recess and will not return to Capitol Hill until Friday, with the House of Representatives returning to session.

ICE reportedly made 18 arrests in the county over last 6 months

Doha Madani

There have been at least 18 arrests by ICE in the county over the last six months, according to a report by The Modesto Bee last week.

Stanislaus County, home to the city of Modesto, is located in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California.

The area is known for its agricultural economy, with almonds serving as its top crop over the last several years. An agricultural report from 2023, the most recent available on the county’s website, says its total gross value of almonds brought in exceeded $813 million, with milk shortly behind at more than $761 million.

ICE involved in shooting in Northern California, sheriff’s office says

Doha Madani and Jay Varela

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