A woman who allegedly got physical in her response to immigration enforcement now finds herself facing charges of her own, in a case that has gotten national attention.
Jennifer Cruz, aged 40, has been charged by complaint with assaulting officers conducting an immigration operation in the Middle District of Florida.
“According to the complaint, federal immigration officers, assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), were conducting an operation in Jacksonville to locate and administratively arrest aliens who were illegally present in the United States. Cruz was driving by and was recording on her cell phone as an FHP Trooper was pulling over a vehicle for a traffic infraction. Cruz parked near the site of the traffic stop and was yelling at the Trooper as she continued to record. Immigration officers subsequently determined that the two occupants of the vehicle were aliens who were illegally present in the United States,” reads the release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Cruz, who allegedly was using her cell phone while driving, was asked to present her driver’s license. She did not have the physical document. Further investigation revealed that her license was suspended last June, leading to her vehicle being impounded.
When troopers attempted to get her keys from her, Cruz punched one of them. The release from the Middle District documents alleges continued resistance.
“Cruz resisted arrest, including by attempting to strike and kick the officers. As Cruz continued to struggle with them, officers took her to an FHP patrol vehicle, during which she attempted to kick the Trooper whom she had punched. As officers were trying to place Cruz inside the vehicle, Cruz kicked at an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Protection agent, and a Trooper, and successfully struck the CBP agent and ICE officer, whose left hand was injured. Officers were eventually able to secure Cruz in the patrol vehicle, but she continued kicking at the vehicle’s windows, roof, and in-car camera.”
Though video evidence corroborating a portion of the government’s claims exists and has been widely circulated, a charge is not a conviction, and Cruz will get due process and her day in court.
