A routine drive to work through Highlandtown ended with a Baltimore man in the hospital on Thursday, after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pickup allegedly rear-ended his van, according to his attorneys.
The man, identified by his lawyers as Alvarenga Ever, originally from Honduras, remains hospitalized with serious injuries to his head, chest, back, and hands. His legal team says the crash was anything but minor.
As reported by the Maryland Daily Record, attorneys Adam Crandell and Clarissa Lindsey of Eldridge | Crandell say the ICE pickup "violently rear-ended" Ever's van while he was driving to work. They also say hospital staff blocked their multiple lawful attempts to see their client after the crash.
Neighbors and Recent ICE Activity in Highlandtown
The incident lands in a neighborhood already on edge over immigration enforcement. Residents and advocates in Highlandtown have raised alarms about what they describe as an uptick in immigration enforcement and public arrests, prompting protests and calls for more oversight.
Earlier reporting from CBS Baltimore highlighted videos of agents jumping out of a pickup truck to detain people near a Home Depot on Eastern Avenue, a scene that helped fuel community pushback.
What Access to Counsel Should Look Like
While Ever’s attorneys say they were denied access to their client at the hospital, federal rules spell out what is supposed to happen when someone is in government custody.
Under ICE's Performance-Based National Detention Standards, detainees are required to have confidential access to attorneys, law libraries, and private legal phone calls, including when they receive medical care or are transferred between facilities.
Guidance from the American Bar Association outlines the hurdles lawyers often face when trying to reach clients in immigration detention, including logistical barriers and communication limits that can delay or complicate legal representation.
Family Reaction and What’s Next
Ever’s wife wrote on Facebook that he is a hardworking man and that the family is devastated by what has happened. His attorneys say they are “deeply disturbed” by the conduct of the agents involved in the crash and by what they describe as a denial of access to counsel.
They told the Maryland Daily Record they plan to keep pressing for his medical care and for his legal rights to be respected as the fallout from the Highlandtown crash continues.
