An anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protester in Florida has been detained for allegedly striking an ICE officer during an immigration operation.
Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer shared a post on X, featuring a photo of the woman, Jennifer Cruz from Jacksonville, smiling as she was apprehended by police. Before her smile, footage shows Cruz kicking a female officer while being restrained by other law enforcement personnel.
“Jennifer disagrees with immigration enforcement and opts to commit a felony by exiting her vehicle and punching a police officer,” Usmeyer commented. “But unlike Minnesota, we won’t tolerate this behavior. Today is different, Jennifer.”
Video captures the confusion as authorities tried to take Cruz into custody. As officers approached her vehicle with her hands secured, she attempted to kick a nearby female officer and even grinned as they placed her on a car hood. After being secured in the back of a police vehicle, a local grocery store owner, Juan Alvarez, recalled witnessing the traffic stop that led to the incident.
“ICE agents arrived alongside state troopers and took the driver into custody,” he explained. “Yes, they were conducting an operation. But things escalated into violence with another person. More law enforcement showed up afterwards.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed Usmeyer’s sentiments in a post, stating, “It’s a really bad decision to attack one of our soldiers. This is not Minneapolis…” He later mentioned the incident in an unrelated news conference, emphasizing, “I know there was a woman who came out and assaulted one of our members. This is not Minneapolis. It’s not going to end well in Florida.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, commenting humorously on the incident, remarked, “Jennifer never go full.”
In Florida, officials expressed their commitment to law enforcement, stating they won’t stand for anyone who supports criminals over citizens. “Here, if you break the law, you face the consequences,” one representative stressed.
