A New Jersey man accused of injuring a young girl by throwing a baseball-sized rock at a school bus is in the country illegally, according to federal officials.

Hernando Garcia-Morales, 40, of Palisades Park, faces multiple charges in connection with a Jan. 7 motor vehicle incident on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike, the New Jersey State Police said.

The third-grade children were traveling back to Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus after a class trip to the Liberty Science Center when a large rock smashed through the bus window, the school previously told Fox News Digital. 

An 8-year-old girl suffered a skull fracture after being struck by the rock and was forced to have surgery, officials said.

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Garcia-Morales was arrested on Jan. 9 by New Jersey Turnpike State Police for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and possession of a weapon. The Bogota Police Department also charged him with aggravated assault, criminal trespassing defiant, criminal trespassing peering, and criminal mischief damage property. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) has issued an arrest detainer against Hernando Garcia-Morales, claiming he is a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico.  

DHS told Fox News Digital that Garcia-Morales has a history of violence and is in the country illegally, but said he has not been deported because of New Jersey’s sanctuary immigration policies.

"Violently targeting a school bus full of children is extremely wicked and heinous," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Hernando Garcia-Morales should have never been in this country, let alone released after multiple arrests into New Jersey communities."

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"ICE has lodged an arrest detainer against this monster, and we hope New Jersey’s sanctuary politicians will help us keep him off American streets for good," McLaughlin added.

DHS said it does not know when or where Garcia-Morales illegally entered the country, but noted he has a criminal history spanning two decades.

He was arrested in 2006 for possession of a weapon and theft, according to The New York Post, and was arrested for burglary in 2023 after allegedly entering a building in Hackensack, New Jersey. Those charges were not pursued, the outlet reported, but Garcia-Morales was arrested the next day in Hackensack and charged with giving false information and attempted burglary.

The Municipal Court of Hackensack downgraded the charges on Sept. 20, 2023, leaving Garcia-Morales with a 30-day jail sentence and a $905 fine for disorderly conduct.

Authorities told Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school officials that Garcia-Morales confessed to the specific incident on the New Jersey Turnpike, as well as several other rock-throwing incidents in the area, the school said.

A superior court judge ruled on Jan. 16 that Garcia-Morales would remain in Bergen County jail until the case is resolved, according to The Post.

The Justice Department announced last year it was suing four New Jersey cities, accusing local officials of obstructing federal law and undermining efforts to enforce immigration laws through their sanctuary city policies.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

The fatal Border Patrol shooting of a man who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says was armed with a 9mm pistol during a confrontation with agents on Saturday has sparked a clash among gun rights groups, pitting defenses of lawful carry and protest rights against warnings about escalating anti-law-enforcement rhetoric.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was shot Saturday morning while allegedly protesting an immigration enforcement operation targeting an illegal immigrant with a criminal record.

DHS officials say Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a handgun and "violently resisted" when they attempted to disarm him, leading to the shooting.

State officials said Pretti, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had a lawful Permit to Carry (PTC), and court records obtained by Fox News Digital indicate he did not have a criminal record.

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The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus quickly responded to the shooting, calling it "deeply concerning."

"According to local officials, the man was legally armed, a firearm was recovered at the scene, and he is believed to have been a lawful gun owner and permit to carry holder," the organization wrote in a statement. 

They added many critical facts remain unknown, as the shooting happened just hours earlier.

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"We do not yet have an independent account of what initiated the encounter or what triggered the use of deadly force," the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus wrote. "Despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers. We are calling for a full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities. 

"Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times."

Contrasting Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus' response, the National Rifle Association (NRA) released a statement on social media blaming Democrat leaders in the blue state for "incit[ing] violence" against law enforcement officers, and pleading with Minnesotans to lower the temperature amid ongoing unrest.

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"For months, radical progressive politicians like [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz have incited violence against law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their jobs," the NRA wrote in an X post. "Unsurprisingly, these calls to dangerously interject oneself into legitimate law-enforcement activities have ended in violence, tragically resulting in injuries and fatalities."

The NRA noted that as with any officer-involved shooting, there will be "a robust and comprehensive investigation that takes place to determine if the use of force was justified."

"As we await these facts and gain a clearer understanding, we urge the political voices to lower the temperature to ensure their constituents and law enforcement officers stay safe," NRA officials wrote.

As the gun rights groups sounded off, so-called "armed community response" members in Minneapolis patrolled near the scene of the shooting Saturday night.

At least two people were spotted at the location wearing tactical vests and open-carrying weapons.

DHS is leading the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the FBI.