ALBAWABA- A U.S. Marshal and an undocumented immigrant were both wounded in a shootout Tuesday during a chaotic immigration enforcement raid in a residential neighborhood of Los Angeles, officials confirmed.
The confrontation erupted when the suspect, described as a priority deportation target with multiple outstanding warrants, allegedly tried to flee by ramming his car into unmarked federal vehicles blocking his path, prompting agents to open fire.
According to federal sources, the deputy marshal sustained a gunshot wound to the arm, while the suspect was hit in the torso. Both were transported to local hospitals and are expected to recover.
Authorities have not yet released their identities pending an ongoing investigation. Aerial footage showed a quiet street transformed into a crime scene, lined with damaged cars, shell casings, and emergency crews, underscoring the operation’s intensity in one of Los Angeles’s densely populated areas.
The incident comes amid President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on illegal immigration during his second term, which has seen federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), step up raids across sanctuary cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
Since January 2025, these operations have led to thousands of arrests, though they have sparked growing criticism over heavy-handed tactics and public safety risks.
In August, a similar case in Southern California saw an undocumented immigrant from India charged with assaulting federal officers after ramming their vehicles during an attempted escape.
The Los Angeles Police Department is assisting federal investigators in reconstructing Tuesday's shootout, while officials stress that the operation targeted a known violent offender. “Our agents face increasing danger in the field,” a federal spokesperson said, “but we remain committed to upholding the law and protecting public safety.”
