The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent involved in the fatal shooting of a woman on Wednesday is a member of one of the agency’s most highly trained tactical teams, according to a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official cited by CBS News. The agent belongs to the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Special Response Team (SRT), a unit deployed for high-risk operations that go beyond the scope of standard immigration enforcement.
The ICE ERO SRT is not a routine patrol unit. It is tasked with executing dangerous operations, including arrest and search warrants involving potentially violent individuals, handling barricaded subjects, and transporting high-risk detainees. These agents are also deployed in response to riots or disturbances at detention facilities. Each member receives advanced instruction in tactical operations, firearms handling, defensive tactics, and crowd control.
According to the DHS official, the unit’s purpose is to respond to situations that exceed the capability of regular ERO officers. The training and mission of the SRT indicate a level of professionalism and preparedness far removed from the way some political figures have attempted to characterize ICE agents.
Following the incident, Representative Daniel Goldman (D-NY) criticized ICE on social media, referring to the agency’s personnel with disparaging language, implying that the agents were untrained and reckless. His remarks have drawn backlash, especially in light of the agent’s elite training background and the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
The case involves an ICE operation during which the woman, according to initial reports, allegedly used her vehicle to drive into the agent, prompting the use of force. While the full details of the encounter remain under investigation, the fact that the agent is a member of an elite tactical team underscores the serious and dangerous nature of the operations conducted by ICE’s Special Response Team.
