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ICE officers shoot driver during immigration operation in Maryland, authorities say

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ICE officers shoot driver during immigration operation in Maryland, authorities say


Federal agents shot into a van during an immigration operation in Maryland on Christmas Eve in an incident that left two men hospitalized, federal authorities said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers approached a van in a quiet neighborhood in Glen Burnie, south of Baltimore, on Wednesday morning and instructed the driver to turn off the engine, according to Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. The department described the driver, who is from Portugal, and his passenger, who is from El Salvador, as being in the U.S. illegally; the driver had overstayed a visa that expired in 2009, the department said.

According to McLaughlin, the driver refused to turn off the engine and “drove his van directly at ICE officers,” hitting ICE vehicles as he tried to flee. McLaughlin said the agents fired their service weapons at the driver in self-defense.

The driver of the van was shot and crashed between two buildings, McLaughlin said. The passenger suffered whiplash in the crash. Both men were taken to a local hospital, where they are in stable condition, McLaughlin said. She said the ICE agents were “not severely injured.”

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McLaughlin said the incident is under investigation.

The incident comes after months of tension between federal agents, local authorities and community members as the Trump administration ramps up its immigration enforcement operations. In September, a man opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, killing two detainees and injuring another in what officials described as an anti-ICE attack. In October, federal officers in Los Angeles shot an immigrant and a U.S. marshal during what DHS said was a “traffic enforcement stop.” Last month, two National Guard members who were deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of what the Trump administration described as a crime crackdown were shot in a “targeted” attack, officials said; one was killed and the other hospitalized in critical condition.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department will investigate Wednesday’s shooting, while the FBI will investigate the alleged attempt to harm ICE officers, said Justin Mulcahy, an Anne Arundel County Police Department spokesman.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a post on X that he was aware of the “ICE-involved shooting” in Glen Burnie.

“As information surrounding the incident continues to emerge, we will remain in touch with local officials and are standing by to provide support for the community,” Moore said.

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Allison Pickard, a council member in Anne Arundel County, called for authorities to release more information.

“Our community deserves answers — and a clear, accountable process for investigation and disclosing the findings as well as an assurance that tactics will focus more on deescalation,” she said in a statement.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman criticized the Trump administration’s immigration operations in a statement to WTTG.

“We have federal law enforcement operating in our jurisdictions without the traditional notification of local police and often without identification,” Pittman said. “It is a recipe for violence, and that is what we experienced in our county today.”



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Fallen firefighters memorial in Maryland closed ahead of cermony due to DHS shutdown

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Fallen firefighters memorial in Maryland closed ahead of cermony due to DHS shutdown


Families of fallen firefighters may be unable to access a national memorial honoring their loved ones due to a federal funding lapse affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation says the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial is currently closed to the public, just weeks before its annual remembrance ceremony.

The closure is tied to restricted access at the National Emergency Training Center campus, which houses the memorial and falls under DHS operations.

In early May, the foundation is set to honor 204 firefighters from 43 states during the 45th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, scheduled for May 2-3.

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SEE ALSO | Maryland’s new paint fees spark outrage as recycling nonprofit isn’t registered in state

For many families, this event represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the site where their loved ones are permanently honored.

“These families…should be able to stand where their loved ones are recognized by our nation,” said CEO Victor Stagnaro.

The foundation is calling on federal leaders to restore access to the memorial ahead of the ceremony, emphasizing the memorial’s emotional importance to grieving families.

“Congress established the memorial to ensure America remembers its fire heroes,” Stagnaro said. “We urge federal leaders to act now.”

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While the foundation says it remains committed to holding Memorial Weekend services with dignity, public access to the ground remains uncertain unless funding issues are resolved.



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Maryland residents question new paint can fee amid growing costs

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Maryland residents question new paint can fee amid growing costs


A trip to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) left some drivers stunned by higher costs that they say are piling up across the state.

Tony Joshua said he walked away when he saw what it would cost to register his vehicle.

“Sticker shock? (laughs),” he said. “I turned right around and got out of the line. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have it.”

ALSO READ | Maryland’s new paint fees spark outrage as recycling nonprofit isn’t registered in state

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The cost of registering, titling and inspecting a vehicle in Maryland doubled last year, but the fee increases don’t stop at the MVA. The Maryland legislature has approved more than 300 new fees in the past two years including a tire tax, a tech tax and a vending machine tax.

“It’s just like greed more than anything,” Baltimore resident Clifton Parrot said.

Baltimore resident Sheila Bowling questioned how the additional funding is being used.

“This is the million dollar question. Nobody knows what those fees are doing. Everything is high in the city,” she said.

If I’m dodging potholes, where is the money going?” Joshua asked.

One of the latest fees will be attached to every gallon of paint sold in Maryland and will go to a nonprofit organization that will manage Maryland’s paint recycling program. But FOX45 News has learned that the nonprofit, PaintCare, isn’t registered as a nonprofit in the state of Maryland, even though it’s set to receive a dollar fee for every gallon of paint sold in the state.

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Joshua said the growing costs have him questioning whether he can stay in Maryland.

“It flabbergasts me where the money is going. Sometimes I’m like ‘dude, do I stay here?’” he said.

Bowling said, “This shouldn’t be happening in 2026 this shouldn’t be happening.”

For many Marylanders, the rising fees have strained budgets and morale, with some saying they can no longer afford the increasing price of driving.

“I’m just at my wits end about it. I’m like when do we, the taxpayers get a break?” Joshua asked.

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Deadly motorcycle crash closes busy stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Montgomery Co. – WTOP News

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Deadly motorcycle crash closes busy stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Montgomery Co. – WTOP News


A deadly crash involving a motorcycle shut down a stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, early Tuesday.

A deadly crash involving a motorcycle shut down a stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, early Tuesday.

Montgomery County police said officers responded around 6:15 a.m. to a report of a crash involving a car and a motorcycle at Manor Road and Connecticut Avenue.

A motorcyclist was found in serious condition. Police said the man died at the scene.

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A woman driving the car was hospitalized with minor injuries.

Connecticut Avenue is closed in both directions between Jones Bridge Road and Manor Road as police investigate the collision.

The crash is the latest in a series of deadly motorcycle incidents across Maryland, including a deadly hit-and-run in Charles County that left one man dead Saturday.

A map of the area is below.

CLICK MAP FOR THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FROM THE WTOP TRAFFIC CENTER: Map shows closure of Connecticut Avenue in both directions, south of Interstate 495 in Chevy Chase, Md.

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