Was ICE justified in shooting Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins in Glen Burnie, Maryland?
DHS says ICE officers fired defensively when a driver rammed vehicles and drove at them in Glen Burnie, Maryland. County police corrected DHS on where an injured passenger was; the driver said he drove away fearing he would be shot.
Claim in dispute
Sousa-Martins rammed several ICE vehicles and then drove his van directly at ICE officers in an attempt to run them over, and the officers fired defensively because they feared for their lives and public safety.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
This case classifies responses to the decision by ICE officers to fire on Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins's van during the December 24, 2025 stop on West Court in Glen Burnie, together with DHS's public account of that shooting. Responses are recorded against that specific matter, not against immigration enforcement policy generally, Sousa-Martins's immigration status or the criminal case that followed.
DHS's December 24 post on X (opens in a new tab) said officers approached a van, that the driver refused to turn off the engine, rammed several ICE vehicles and drove directly at officers, and that officers defensively fired because they feared for their lives and public safety. The post also said a passenger was in the van and was injured when it crashed.
On January 8, 2026, the Anne Arundel County Police Department (opens in a new tab) clarified its earlier preliminary information, saying one injured ICE detainee was already in custody in an ICE vehicle and the other injured person was struck by gunfire while operating a separate vehicle. A DHS statement printed by WMAR (opens in a new tab) and described by WTOP (opens in a new tab) then said the injured man was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed, and repeated that the driver drove at officers.
An FBI agent's affidavit (opens in a new tab) sworn on January 15 supported the federal charges. It attributes to ICE officers statements that the van reversed into an ICE vehicle and then moved forward toward officers at a high rate of speed, and that two officers fired: one about one to two shots at the driver's side, the other multiple shots believing he would be struck. It says that officer holstered his weapon once the van had passed. Other accounts differ: the Baltimore Banner reported that three agents opened fire, and defense lawyers, according to the Banner and NBC4, said at least 13 shots were fired. It also says Sousa-Martins told the FBI he chose to drive through a walkway, away from the men, because he believed he would be shot. According to the affidavit, one officer's body-worn camera was not operating because of a dead battery, and the other officers had not been issued cameras.
Sousa-Martins pleaded guilty on April 27, 2026 to destroying government property and was sentenced to time served. The U.S. Attorney's Office (opens in a new tab) described the offense as ramming government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers, and the court dismissed a count of resisting or interfering with federal officers. The plea's statement of facts (opens in a new tab) covers the stop, the broken window and the collisions with two government vehicles, and does not describe the shooting. The Baltimore Banner reported (opens in a new tab) that Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin said the court had some skepticism about some of what the government had presented.
The Banner also reported that there was no known footage of the encounter, while prosecutors' filings, as reported by CBS News Baltimore (opens in a new tab), referred to numerous lengthy videos in the evidence. According to the Banner, court papers and county police have not revealed the identities of the officers who fired. As of September 25, 2026, we could not locate a published finding from the county police investigation, the FBI or ICE's internal review.
People in this case
Chris Van HollenCommented
Timeline
11 timeline entries on this page. Dates: December 24, 2025 to September 9, 2026
December 2025
4 events
ICE officers stop a van in Glen Burnie and shoot the driver
Incident
ICE officers approached a white van driven by Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins on West Court in Glen Burnie and fired at it. Anne Arundel County police said the shooting happened at about 10:51 a.m. and that the van then came to rest in a wooded area behind homes. Sousa-Martins was shot and taken to a hospital.
[01]2 hurt in shooting involving ICE agents in Maryland: Police
Source excerpt
When the agents "approached a white van, that van attempted to run agents over," police said.
Contemporaneous report of the preliminary information Anne Arundel County police gave on December 24 and of the DHS statement. The police department later described its December 24 information as preliminary.
2 hurt in shooting involving ICE agents in Maryland: Police · ABC NewsPolice account of the shooting; DHS statement; Gov. Wes Moore post[02]ICE shooting in Glen Burnie leaves 2 people hospitalized, officials say
Source excerpt
The department's Criminal Investigations Division is leading the probe into the shooting, while the FBI is investigating the alleged assault on ICE agents, Mulcahy said. ICE also will conduct an internal investigation.
Reports the ICE statement, Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy's description of three separate investigations, and comments from neighbors. The article was updated on December 27.
ICE shooting in Glen Burnie leaves 2 people hospitalized, officials say · The Baltimore BannerICE spokesperson statement; police spokesman on the three investigations; neighbor accountsDHS posts its account of the shooting
Claim
DHS posted an account on X saying officers conducting a targeted immigration enforcement operation approached a van, that the driver refused to turn off the engine and drove at officers, and that officers defensively fired. The post referred to a passenger and said both men were hospitalized in stable condition.
[03]DHS statement on the Glen Burnie, Maryland shooting (X post)
Source excerpt
He then drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over.
The Department of Homeland Security's first public account of the shooting, posted on its verified X account. It names the driver and a passenger and says the passenger was injured when the van crashed. Anne Arundel County police later said the passenger was already in custody in an ICE vehicle.
DHS statement on the Glen Burnie, Maryland shooting (X post) · U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityFull X post, published 2025-12-24 20:50 UTCThree separate investigations are announced
Anne Arundel County police said the county's Criminal Investigations Division would investigate the shooting, the FBI would investigate the alleged assault on ICE agents, and ICE would conduct an internal investigation.
[02]ICE shooting in Glen Burnie leaves 2 people hospitalized, officials say
Source excerpt
The department's Criminal Investigations Division is leading the probe into the shooting, while the FBI is investigating the alleged assault on ICE agents, Mulcahy said. ICE also will conduct an internal investigation.
Reports the ICE statement, Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy's description of three separate investigations, and comments from neighbors. The article was updated on December 27.
ICE shooting in Glen Burnie leaves 2 people hospitalized, officials say · The Baltimore BannerICE spokesperson statement; police spokesman on the three investigations; neighbor accountsAn attorney disputes DHS's account of the passenger
Claim
The Baltimore Banner reported that attorney Alex Major said the passenger was taken into federal custody in Southern Maryland at about 9 a.m. on December 24 and was handcuffed in an ICE vehicle when the crash occurred, as relayed by his family. A DHS spokesperson, asked when and where he was taken into custody, repeated the agency's version of events.
[04]Attorney questions account of Glen Burnie ICE shooting as new details emerge
Source excerpt
An attorney who visited Salomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel at the hospital says the landscape worker was pulled over along with a family member in Southern Maryland and taken into federal custody Wednesday morning
Reports one attorney's account, relayed from the passenger's family, that Serrano-Esquivel was in ICE custody before the shooting. DHS did not confirm when or where he was taken into custody. Anne Arundel County police confirmed on January 8 that he was already in custody in an ICE vehicle.
Attorney questions account of Glen Burnie ICE shooting as new details emerge · The Baltimore BannerAccount of attorney Alex Major; DHS spokesperson reply
January 2026
4 events
County police say one injured man was already in an ICE vehicle
Correction
Anne Arundel County police said one of the two injured men was already in custody in an ICE vehicle and the other was struck by gunfire while driving a separate vehicle, clarifying information the department released on December 24.
[05]Anne Arundel County Police Department Clarification to December 24, 2025 ICE Shooting in Glen Burnie
Source excerpt
one ICE detainee who was injured during the incident was already in custody in an ICE vehicle, and the other individual injured was struck by gunfire while operating a separate vehicle.
The department's clarification of the preliminary information it released on December 24. The page shows no posting date. News outlets reported the statement on the evening of January 8, 2026.
Anne Arundel County Police Department Clarification to December 24, 2025 ICE Shooting in Glen Burnie · Anne Arundel County Police DepartmentClarification paragraph[06]Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting
Source excerpt
Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed.
Reports the January 8 police statement and prints DHS's response in full. The page was posted on January 8 and updated on January 12. Other outlets reported the DHS response on January 9.
Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting · WMAR-2 NewsDHS statement printed in full, attributed to Tricia McLaughlin[07]Police dispute ICE's account of Glen Burnie shooting, as Minneapolis raises more questions
Source excerpt
The fact that federal authorities lied about what happened in front of the cameras in Minneapolis makes all of us question what happened in the absence of cameras here in Glen Burnie.
Reports the county police statement of January 8 and reactions from county, state and federal officials. The reactions were made a day after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Police dispute ICE's account of Glen Burnie shooting, as Minneapolis raises more questions · The Baltimore BannerStatements by Steuart Pittman, Chris Van Hollen and a Wes Moore spokesperson; police spokesman commentsDHS says the passenger was in an ICE vehicle
Correction
In statements to news outlets, DHS said the injured man had been a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed, rather than in the driver's van as its December 24 post said. DHS repeated that the driver rammed ICE vehicles and drove his van directly at officers.
[08]New details emerge in Christmas Eve shooting by ICE officers in Glen Burnie
Source excerpt
Initially, in a social media post on Dec. 24, DHS stated the two men who were taken into custody by ICE in Glen Burnie were in a van
Reports the DHS statement to WTOP on Friday, January 9 and compares it with DHS's December 24 post and the county police clarification.
New details emerge in Christmas Eve shooting by ICE officers in Glen Burnie · WTOPDHS statement to WTOP on Friday afternoon; description of the December 24 DHS post[06]Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting
Source excerpt
Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed.
Reports the January 8 police statement and prints DHS's response in full. The page was posted on January 8 and updated on January 12. Other outlets reported the DHS response on January 9.
Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting · WMAR-2 NewsDHS statement printed in full, attributed to Tricia McLaughlinFederal complaint and FBI affidavit charge Sousa-Martins
Source release
Federal prosecutors filed a sealed complaint charging Sousa-Martins with resisting or interfering with federal officers and destruction of government property, supported by an FBI agent's affidavit sworn on January 15. The affidavit says two officers fired, one about one to two shots and the other multiple shots, and attributes to them statements that the van moved toward officers at a high rate of speed and that one believed he would be struck. It refers to a detainee who had been arrested earlier that day and was seated in an ICE vehicle that the van struck, and says one officer's body-worn camera was not operating because of a dead battery. The court unsealed the complaint on January 20, and WBAL reported the charges on January 21.
[09]Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint and Arrest Warrant, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.)
Source excerpt
According to ERO Officer 2, once the Subject Vehicle moved past him, he holstered his firearm as he believed that the Subject Vehicle no longer posed an imminent threat to his life.
Sworn statement by an FBI special agent supporting the federal criminal complaint. It relays accounts from ICE officers, from a detainee and from Sousa-Martins. The affidavit says its descriptions of statements are given in substance, not verbatim. It was filed under seal on January 16 and unsealed on January 20.
Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint and Arrest Warrant, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.) · United States District Court for the District of MarylandAffidavit paragraphs 11 to 53 (16 pages), sworn January 15, 2026[10]Docket, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.)
Source excerpt
SEALED COMPLAINT as to Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins (1).
CourtListener's copy of the federal docket for the complaint stage. It records the January 16 filing of the sealed complaint and affidavit and the order to unseal them, entered on January 20.
Docket, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.) · United States District Court for the District of MarylandDocket entries 1 to 6: sealed complaint, motion to unseal, order granting unsealing[11]Man shot by ICE agents on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie now faces charges
Source excerpt
Court records obtained by WBAL-TV 11 News indicate Sousa-Martins now faces two federal criminal charges of resisting or interfering certain officers and destruction of government property.
First public report of the federal charges against Sousa-Martins. The U.S. Attorney's Office offered no comment to WBAL, and the FBI said there were no updates.
Man shot by ICE agents on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie now faces charges · WBAL-TV 11Court records on the two federal charges; investigations under way[12]Man shot by ICE officers in Maryland on Christmas Eve faces federal charges
Source excerpt
A man who was shot by immigration enforcement officials in Maryland on Christmas Eve is facing federal charges of resisting arrest, according to court documents obtained by WJZ.
CBS News Baltimore's report on the charging documents, including the prosecutors' account of the stop and the account Sousa-Martins gave to the FBI.
Man shot by ICE officers in Maryland on Christmas Eve faces federal charges · CBS NewsSummary of the court documentsCBS reports prosecutors' filings refer to video evidence
Source release
CBS News Baltimore reported that court filings by prosecutors said the evidence in the case includes "numerous lengthy videos" and hundreds of photographs, and that the government believed plea discussions might lead to a resolution without a contested trial.
[13]Maryland senator claims ICE given "license to kill," says DHS lied about Glen Burnie shooting
Source excerpt
The evidence in this case includes numerous lengthy videos, which will take many hours to review in their totality, in addition to hundreds of photographs, and other reports,
Reports Senator Chris Van Hollen's floor remarks about the Glen Burnie shooting and quotes prosecutors' court filings that refer to lengthy video and photographic evidence and to plea discussions.
Maryland senator claims ICE given "license to kill," says DHS lied about Glen Burnie shooting · CBS NewsSenator Van Hollen's Senate floor remarks; prosecutors' court filings on video evidence
87 days between recorded events
April 2026
2 events
Prosecutors describe the gunfire sequence in a sentencing letter
Source release
In a letter to the magistrate judge, prosecutors wrote that after crashing into the two vans, Sousa-Martins "put his van in drive again and began driving forward to get away from the officers" and that "the police opened fire upon him" as he drove away down a sidewalk between two residential buildings. Prosecutors asked for a guideline increase for reckless endangerment during flight and a sentence within a range of 0 to 6 months.
[14]Government sentencing letter on USSG 3C1.2, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 35
Source excerpt
It was then that the police opened fire upon him and that he drove away from officers, down the sidewalk, and between two residential buildings.
Prosecutors' letter to the magistrate judge asking that a reckless-endangerment increase under the sentencing guidelines apply and that the sentence fall within a range of 0 to 6 months. It describes the sequence of the collisions and the gunfire.
Government sentencing letter on USSG 3C1.2, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 35 · U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of MarylandPages 2 to 3, sections titled The Crash and The SidewalkSousa-Martins pleads guilty to destroying government property
Sousa-Martins pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of government property and was sentenced to time served, which the U.S. Attorney's Office put at 103 days, with $1,000 in restitution. On the government's motion, the court dismissed the count of resisting or interfering with federal officers and the complaint. The plea's statement of facts covers the stop, the broken window and the collisions with two government vehicles, and does not describe the shooting. The U.S. Attorney's Office described the offense as ramming government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers.
[15]Plea agreement and statement of facts, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 37
Source excerpt
The officers exited their vehicles, identified themselves as immigration enforcement officers, and directed SOUSA-MARTINS to exit his vehicle.
The plea agreement in which Sousa-Martins pleaded guilty to Count Two, destruction of government property. Its statement of facts covers the stop, the broken window and the collisions with two government vehicles.
Plea agreement and statement of facts, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 37 · United States District Court for the District of MarylandStatement of facts[16]Amended judgment in a criminal case, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 40
Source excerpt
Count 1 of the Criminal Information and the Criminal Complaint are dismissed on the motion of the United States.
Amended judgment entered April 28 for the April 27 sentencing. It records a sentence of time served, credited from January 16, 2026, and $1,000 in restitution.
Amended judgment in a criminal case, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 40 · United States District Court for the District of MarylandJudgment pages 1, 2 and 4[17]Information, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 17
Source excerpt
did willfully injure and commit a depredation against property of the United States, to wit: two motor vehicles belonging to the Department of Homeland Security.
The charging document that replaced the sealed complaint. Count One charged resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating or interfering with federal officers. Count Two charged destruction of government property.
Information, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 17 · United States District Court for the District of MarylandCounts One and Two[18]Illegal Alien Sentenced for Destroying Government Property After Ramming Law Enforcement Vehicles
Source excerpt
Magistrate Judge Charles Austin sentenced Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, 30, to time served — totaling 103 days — for using his van to ram government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland's announcement of the plea and sentence. It describes the December 24 stop and the collisions with government vehicles. The release does not mention the shooting.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Destroying Government Property After Ramming Law Enforcement Vehicles · U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of MarylandFull press release[19]Immigrant shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie pleads guilty
Source excerpt
“The court has some skepticism about some of what the government has presented based on some individuals who have not been identified or appeared in court,”
Report from the April 27 hearing, including the judge's remarks, the sentencing positions of prosecutors and defense lawyers, and Sousa-Martins's statement to the court. No transcript was located.
Immigrant shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie pleads guilty · The Baltimore BannerSentencing hearing remarks by Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin; statements of counsel and Sousa-Martins
135 days between recorded events
September 2026
1 event
Sousa-Martins is released from immigration custody
A federal district court judge ordered Sousa-Martins released from immigration custody after months of detention, according to news reports. He had remained in ICE detention after his April sentence.
[20]Man shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve reunites with family
Source excerpt
A federal district court judge ordered his release after more than eight months of detention.
Reports the September 9 release of Sousa-Martins from immigration custody after a federal habeas petition and quotes statements from his attorney and from Sousa-Martins.
Man shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve reunites with family · WMAR-2 NewsRelease from immigration custody; statements from attorney and Sousa-Martins[21]Man shot by ICE on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie freed after nearly 9 months in detention
Source excerpt
A Portuguese man who was shot by federal immigration agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve last year was released from detention Wednesday, advocates said.
Reports the release, attributing the account of the number of shots to attorneys and the release announcement to We Are CASA.
Man shot by ICE on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie freed after nearly 9 months in detention · The Baltimore BannerRelease from detention; account of the shooting attributed to attorneys
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Sousa-Martins rammed several ICE vehicles and then drove his van directly at ICE officers in an attempt to run them over, and the officers fired defensively because they feared for their lives and public safety.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Sources (2)
- DHS statement on the Glen Burnie, Maryland shooting (X post) · U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityFull X post, published 2025-12-24 20:50 UTC
- Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting · WMAR-2 NewsDHS statement printed in full, attributed to Tricia McLaughlin
Disputed claim
One of the two men injured on December 24 was already in custody in an ICE vehicle when he was hurt, and the other was struck by gunfire while operating a separate vehicle.
Anne Arundel County Police Department
Sources (1)
- Anne Arundel County Police Department Clarification to December 24, 2025 ICE Shooting in Glen Burnie · Anne Arundel County Police DepartmentClarification paragraph
Disputed claim
Sousa-Martins drove through the walkway between the buildings, away from the men around his van, because he believed they would shoot him.
Sources (2)
- Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint and Arrest Warrant, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.) · United States District Court for the District of MarylandAffidavit paragraphs 11 to 53 (16 pages), sworn January 15, 2026
- Immigrant shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie pleads guilty · The Baltimore BannerSentencing hearing remarks by Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin; statements of counsel and Sousa-Martins
Response record
Responses
Latest recorded positions: 8. Dates: December 24, 2025 to April 29, 2026
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
2 responses on this page
Alice Barrett "This plea agreement and the hearing at which he was sentenced don't change anything about the bottom line of his case, which is that ICE's use of lethal force against him was excessive and dangerous"
Open source (opens in a new tab)Man shot by ICE in Maryland takes plea deal, faces deportation · NBC4 WashingtonComments by CASA attorney Alice Barrett; DHS spokesperson statementsCondemnedCase context: Was ICE justified in shooting Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins in Glen Burnie, Maryland?
Read more
Barrett, who represents Sousa-Martins in his immigration case, said the plea and sentencing "don't change anything about the bottom line of his case, which is that ICE's use of lethal force against him was excessive and dangerous".
Role at the time: Managing attorney for immigration legal services at We Are CASA and attorney for Sousa-Martins in his immigration case
Before the statement
Sousa-Martins had pleaded guilty on April 27 to destroying government property and was sentenced to time served. The U.S. Attorney's Office said two government vehicles were damaged.
After the statement
NBC4 reported that Sousa-Martins remained in ICE custody and that a request had been filed asking a judge to let him stay in the United States while his immigration case proceeds.
Man shot by ICE in Maryland takes plea deal, faces deportation · NBC4 WashingtonComments by CASA attorney Alice Barrett; DHS spokesperson statementsWhy this label?
The reference point is the officers' decision to fire on Sousa-Martins. Barrett expressly calls the use of lethal force excessive and dangerous, which is a denunciation of that decision.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Chris Van Hollen"In my State of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a nonfatal shooting, and they were exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation that showed that DHS was plain wrong."
Read the original text (opens in a new tab)Congressional Record, January 28, 2026, page S314: remarks of Senator Van Hollen · United States CongressPage S314, remarks of Mr. Van Hollen during consideration of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026Open source (opens in a new tab)Maryland senator claims ICE given "license to kill," says DHS lied about Glen Burnie shooting · CBS NewsSenator Van Hollen's Senate floor remarks; prosecutors' court filings on video evidenceCondemnedCase context: Was ICE justified in shooting Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins in Glen Burnie, Maryland?
Read more
In Senate floor remarks, Van Hollen said that "In my State of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a nonfatal shooting" and that DHS was "exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation". CBS News Baltimore reported the remark as concerning the Glen Burnie shooting.
Role at the time: U.S. Senator from Maryland
Before the statement
Van Hollen spoke on the Senate floor during debate on a spending bill, in remarks that mainly addressed the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.
After the statement
He also said Secretary Kristi Noem should be fired or impeached, and CBS News Baltimore reported that he said he would not vote for more DHS funding.
Congressional Record, January 28, 2026, page S314: remarks of Senator Van Hollen · United States CongressPage S314, remarks of Mr. Van Hollen during consideration of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026Maryland senator claims ICE given "license to kill," says DHS lied about Glen Burnie shooting · CBS NewsSenator Van Hollen's Senate floor remarks; prosecutors' court filings on video evidenceWhy this label?
The reference point includes DHS's public account of the shooting. Van Hollen says DHS lied about the circumstances and was shown to be wrong by a county investigation, which is an express rejection of that account. Denies loses because the passage does not identify which specific fact he calls false.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(25)
Original text
Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint and Arrest Warrant, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.)
Relevant passage: Affidavit paragraphs 11 to 53 (16 pages), sworn January 15, 2026
Excerpt
"According to ERO Officer 2, once the Subject Vehicle moved past him, he holstered his firearm as he believed that the Subject Vehicle no longer posed an imminent threat to his life."
About this source
Sworn statement by an FBI special agent supporting the federal criminal complaint. It relays accounts from ICE officers, from a detainee and from Sousa-Martins. The affidavit says its descriptions of statements are given in substance, not verbatim. It was filed under seal on January 16 and unsealed on January 20.
- Author
- FBI Special Agent Sean O'Rourke
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Docket, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-mj-00072-CDA (D. Md.)
Relevant passage: Docket entries 1 to 6: sealed complaint, motion to unseal, order granting unsealing
Excerpt
"SEALED COMPLAINT as to Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins (1)."
About this source
CourtListener's copy of the federal docket for the complaint stage. It records the January 16 filing of the sealed complaint and affidavit and the order to unseal them, entered on January 20.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Man shot by ICE on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie freed after nearly 9 months in detention
Relevant passage: Release from detention; account of the shooting attributed to attorneys
Excerpt
"A Portuguese man who was shot by federal immigration agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve last year was released from detention Wednesday, advocates said."
About this source
Reports the release, attributing the account of the number of shots to attorneys and the release announcement to We Are CASA.
- Author
- Darreonna Davis
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Man shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve reunites with family
Relevant passage: Release from immigration custody; statements from attorney and Sousa-Martins
Excerpt
"A federal district court judge ordered his release after more than eight months of detention."
About this source
Reports the September 9 release of Sousa-Martins from immigration custody after a federal habeas petition and quotes statements from his attorney and from Sousa-Martins.
- Author
- WMAR Web Staff
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Man shot by ICE in Maryland takes plea deal, faces deportation
Relevant passage: Comments by CASA attorney Alice Barrett; DHS spokesperson statements
Excerpt
"This plea agreement and the hearing at which he was sentenced don't change anything about the bottom line of his case, which is that ICE's use of lethal force against him was excessive and dangerous,"
About this source
Reports the plea, the sentence, the charging summary from an FBI agent's account, and comments from Sousa-Martins's immigration attorney and a DHS spokesperson.
- Author
- Katie Leslie, Rosbelis Quiñonez and Jeff Piper
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Immigrant shot by ICE agents in Glen Burnie pleads guilty
Relevant passage: Sentencing hearing remarks by Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin; statements of counsel and Sousa-Martins
Excerpt
"“The court has some skepticism about some of what the government has presented based on some individuals who have not been identified or appeared in court,”"
About this source
Report from the April 27 hearing, including the judge's remarks, the sentencing positions of prosecutors and defense lawyers, and Sousa-Martins's statement to the court. No transcript was located.
- Author
- Alex Mann
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Destroying Government Property After Ramming Law Enforcement Vehicles
Relevant passage: Full press release
Excerpt
"Magistrate Judge Charles Austin sentenced Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, 30, to time served — totaling 103 days — for using his van to ram government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers."
About this source
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland's announcement of the plea and sentence. It describes the December 24 stop and the collisions with government vehicles. The release does not mention the shooting.
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Amended judgment in a criminal case, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 40
Relevant passage: Judgment pages 1, 2 and 4
Excerpt
"Count 1 of the Criminal Information and the Criminal Complaint are dismissed on the motion of the United States."
About this source
Amended judgment entered April 28 for the April 27 sentencing. It records a sentence of time served, credited from January 16, 2026, and $1,000 in restitution.
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Plea agreement and statement of facts, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 37
Relevant passage: Statement of facts
Excerpt
"The officers exited their vehicles, identified themselves as immigration enforcement officers, and directed SOUSA-MARTINS to exit his vehicle."
About this source
The plea agreement in which Sousa-Martins pleaded guilty to Count Two, destruction of government property. Its statement of facts covers the stop, the broken window and the collisions with two government vehicles.
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Information, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 17
Relevant passage: Counts One and Two
Excerpt
"did willfully injure and commit a depredation against property of the United States, to wit: two motor vehicles belonging to the Department of Homeland Security."
About this source
The charging document that replaced the sealed complaint. Count One charged resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating or interfering with federal officers. Count Two charged destruction of government property.
- Author
- Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Government sentencing letter on USSG 3C1.2, United States v. Sousa-Martins, No. 1:26-cr-00045-CDA (D. Md.), ECF 35
Relevant passage: Pages 2 to 3, sections titled The Crash and The Sidewalk
Excerpt
"It was then that the police opened fire upon him and that he drove away from officers, down the sidewalk, and between two residential buildings."
About this source
Prosecutors' letter to the magistrate judge asking that a reckless-endangerment increase under the sentencing guidelines apply and that the sentence fall within a range of 0 to 6 months. It describes the sequence of the collisions and the gunfire.
- Author
- Robert Goldaris, Assistant U.S. Attorney
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- Accessed
Original text
Congressional Record, January 28, 2026, page S314: remarks of Senator Van Hollen
Relevant passage: Page S314, remarks of Mr. Van Hollen during consideration of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
Excerpt
"In my State of Maryland, DHS lied about the circumstances surrounding a nonfatal shooting, and they were exposed in their lies because of a local county investigation that showed that DHS was plain wrong."
About this source
Official transcript of Senator Van Hollen's Senate floor remarks. The transcript refers to a nonfatal shooting in Maryland. CBS News Baltimore reported the remark as concerning the Glen Burnie shooting.
- Author
- Chris Van Hollen
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Maryland senator claims ICE given "license to kill," says DHS lied about Glen Burnie shooting
Relevant passage: Senator Van Hollen's Senate floor remarks; prosecutors' court filings on video evidence
Excerpt
"The evidence in this case includes numerous lengthy videos, which will take many hours to review in their totality, in addition to hundreds of photographs, and other reports,"
About this source
Reports Senator Chris Van Hollen's floor remarks about the Glen Burnie shooting and quotes prosecutors' court filings that refer to lengthy video and photographic evidence and to plea discussions.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Man shot by ICE officers in Maryland on Christmas Eve faces federal charges
Relevant passage: Summary of the court documents
Excerpt
"A man who was shot by immigration enforcement officials in Maryland on Christmas Eve is facing federal charges of resisting arrest, according to court documents obtained by WJZ."
About this source
CBS News Baltimore's report on the charging documents, including the prosecutors' account of the stop and the account Sousa-Martins gave to the FBI.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Man shot by ICE agents on Christmas Eve in Glen Burnie now faces charges
Relevant passage: Court records on the two federal charges; investigations under way
Excerpt
"Court records obtained by WBAL-TV 11 News indicate Sousa-Martins now faces two federal criminal charges of resisting or interfering certain officers and destruction of government property."
About this source
First public report of the federal charges against Sousa-Martins. The U.S. Attorney's Office offered no comment to WBAL, and the FBI said there were no updates.
- Author
- Peter Levchuck
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Weekly Letter: The ICE Shooting and 2026
Relevant passage: Official statement offered to the press on December 24, reprinted in the letter; passages on the investigation
Excerpt
"This is exactly the kind of incident that I and my peers across the country have dreaded."
About this source
County Executive Steuart Pittman's weekly letter dated January 2, 2026. It reprints the statement he gave the press on the day of the shooting and summarizes the DHS and Baltimore Banner accounts of the passenger's location.
- Author
- Steuart Pittman
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Questions remain about ICE shooting in Glen Burnie in wake of Minneapolis ICE shooting
Relevant passage: Comments by Councilwoman Allison Pickard; police clarification; ICE body-camera inquiry
Excerpt
"In Glen Burnie, we, so far, only know what ICE agents reported happened that morning,"
About this source
Reports residents' and County Councilwoman Allison Pickard's reactions to the shooting and describes the police clarification. WBAL said it had not received a response from ICE on whether officers wore body cameras.
- Author
- Breana Ross
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Police dispute ICE's account of Glen Burnie shooting, as Minneapolis raises more questions
Relevant passage: Statements by Steuart Pittman, Chris Van Hollen and a Wes Moore spokesperson; police spokesman comments
Excerpt
"The fact that federal authorities lied about what happened in front of the cameras in Minneapolis makes all of us question what happened in the absence of cameras here in Glen Burnie."
About this source
Reports the county police statement of January 8 and reactions from county, state and federal officials. The reactions were made a day after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.
- Author
- Alex Mann and Sara Ruberg
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
New details emerge in Christmas Eve shooting by ICE officers in Glen Burnie
Relevant passage: DHS statement to WTOP on Friday afternoon; description of the December 24 DHS post
Excerpt
"Initially, in a social media post on Dec. 24, DHS stated the two men who were taken into custody by ICE in Glen Burnie were in a van"
About this source
Reports the DHS statement to WTOP on Friday, January 9 and compares it with DHS's December 24 post and the county police clarification.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Anne Arundel County Police contradict DHS account of Christmas Eve ICE shooting
Relevant passage: DHS statement printed in full, attributed to Tricia McLaughlin
Excerpt
"Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed."
About this source
Reports the January 8 police statement and prints DHS's response in full. The page was posted on January 8 and updated on January 12. Other outlets reported the DHS response on January 9.
- Author
- Dominick Philippe-Auguste
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Anne Arundel County Police Department Clarification to December 24, 2025 ICE Shooting in Glen Burnie
Relevant passage: Clarification paragraph
Excerpt
"one ICE detainee who was injured during the incident was already in custody in an ICE vehicle, and the other individual injured was struck by gunfire while operating a separate vehicle."
About this source
The department's clarification of the preliminary information it released on December 24. The page shows no posting date. News outlets reported the statement on the evening of January 8, 2026.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Attorney questions account of Glen Burnie ICE shooting as new details emerge
Relevant passage: Account of attorney Alex Major; DHS spokesperson reply
Excerpt
"An attorney who visited Salomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel at the hospital says the landscape worker was pulled over along with a family member in Southern Maryland and taken into federal custody Wednesday morning"
About this source
Reports one attorney's account, relayed from the passenger's family, that Serrano-Esquivel was in ICE custody before the shooting. DHS did not confirm when or where he was taken into custody. Anne Arundel County police confirmed on January 8 that he was already in custody in an ICE vehicle.
- Author
- Sara Ruberg, Alex Mann and Tim Prudente
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
ICE shooting in Glen Burnie leaves 2 people hospitalized, officials say
Relevant passage: ICE spokesperson statement; police spokesman on the three investigations; neighbor accounts
Excerpt
"The department's Criminal Investigations Division is leading the probe into the shooting, while the FBI is investigating the alleged assault on ICE agents, Mulcahy said. ICE also will conduct an internal investigation."
About this source
Reports the ICE statement, Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy's description of three separate investigations, and comments from neighbors. The article was updated on December 27.
- Author
- Alex Mann and Sara Ruberg
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
2 hurt in shooting involving ICE agents in Maryland: Police
Relevant passage: Police account of the shooting; DHS statement; Gov. Wes Moore post
Excerpt
"When the agents "approached a white van, that van attempted to run agents over," police said."
About this source
Contemporaneous report of the preliminary information Anne Arundel County police gave on December 24 and of the DHS statement. The police department later described its December 24 information as preliminary.
- Author
- ABC News
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
DHS statement on the Glen Burnie, Maryland shooting (X post)
Excerpt
"He then drove his van directly at ICE officers, attempting to run them over."
About this source
The Department of Homeland Security's first public account of the shooting, posted on its verified X account. It names the driver and a passenger and says the passenger was injured when the van crashed. Anne Arundel County police later said the passenger was already in custody in an ICE vehicle.
- Published
- Accessed