New Jersey: Democrat Mayor’s wife injured after illegal immigrant flees ICE

The wife of a Democratic mayor from New Jersey was injured by an undocumented immigrant who was fleeing agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The victim is Dr. Penelope Cohen, wife of Brad Cohen, the Democratic mayor of East Brunswick, who had to be taken to a hospital due to her injuries.

The incident occurred on September 2 in North Brunswick, while ICE agents were conducting an immigration operation. The agents stopped a vehicle and attempted to detain the driver, who, according to the federal agency, refused to exit the car and comply with their orders. After several warnings, the agents attempted to remove him from the vehicle. The driver ignored the agents' orders and fled the scene.

During his escape, he ran a red light and collided with a Tesla that was traveling in the area. The vehicle was driven by Dr. Cohen, who suffered a leg injury and was taken to a hospital. After the accident, the driver abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. ICE agents located and arrested him shortly thereafter.

"The illegal alien refused to exit the vehicle or comply with lawful commands from ICE officers. After repeated verbal warnings and due to officer safety concerns, ICE officers relied on their training and attempted to safely remove the illegal alien. The illegal alien then proceeded to flee at a high rate of speed and collided with other vehicles," an ICE spokesperson told CBS News.

"The illegal alien was arrested for violating U.S. immigration law, will receive due process, and will remain in custody pending removal proceedings," he added.

The case gained significant attention in New Jersey, where Republicans used it to criticize the policies of Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill. One of the most vocal critics was Republican State Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, who stated that the state should adopt a more cooperative approach with federal agencies on immigration matters.

"This is just the latest in a long line of traffic incidents and vehicular incidents that wouldn’t occur if New Jersey didn’t have our sanctuary status that got codified as soon as Gov. Sherrill came into office," the Republican said.

"We told them that this would create chaos, and it seems like Democrats are unable to take accountability for their own actions," he added.

Kanitra referred to several measures implemented by Sherrill, who took office as governor in early 2026. In February, the Democrat signed Executive Order No. 12, which prohibits ICE from using state property as a base for its operations and restricts federal agents' access to non-public areas of those buildings without a court order. In March, Sherrill also signed a bill that limits the role of state and local authorities in enforcing federal immigration laws.