CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — A Middle Township police officer is recovering from significant injuries after being struck Friday night by a suspected drunk driver who was allegedly in the country illegally.
Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ02) announced Sunday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local officials confirmed the suspect’s immigration status and the existence of an active ICE detainer.
Officer Austin Kapurelos, a newlywed, underwent surgery following the crash.
“I know Austin and his family personally, and they are good, hardworking South Jersey people,” said Van Drew. “Austin is a fine young man who proudly serves his community and his country, and now he is lying in a hospital bed with serious injuries after being hit by a drunk driver who was in this country illegally.”
The congressman pointed to other recent crimes allegedly involving illegal immigrants in New Jersey, including the death of an infant in a parking lot and the kidnapping and sexual assault of a six-year-old girl.
“When is enough enough?” Van Drew asked.
Van Drew also took aim at Governor Mikie Sherrill’s immigration policies, specifically her administration’s commitment of more than $20 million in taxpayer funding for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.
“It is completely backwards,” he said, calling on Cape May County Sheriff Nolan to cooperate with ICE and ensure the suspect is transferred to federal custody.
Kapurelos’s father, Tony, offered an emotional account of the family’s ordeal.
“They just got married. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and instead of enjoying this time together, Austin is recovering from surgery, and we’re all praying he’ll be okay,” he said.
“If this man hadn’t been here illegally, Austin would be sitting on the couch with his wife in their new home right now, not lying in a hospital bed.”
Middle Township Mayor Christopher Leusner similarly demanded that the suspect face prosecution under New Jersey law and subsequently be turned over to ICE.
Leusner also called for changes to New Jersey’s immigration policies, which severely restrict coordination and cooperation between state and local law enforcement personnel and federal authorities charged with immigration enforcement.
“There should be no limitations on cooperation when it comes to keeping dangerous drivers off our roads,” Leusner said.
The incident comes amid an ongoing debate over New Jersey’s sanctuary policies and whether state and local authorities should cooperate more extensively with federal immigration enforcement.
For the Kapurelos family, however, that debate is anything but academic.
