DHS Calls on Sanctuary Politicians to Stop Violent Rhetoric Against ICE as Assaults Increase by More Than 1,600%

 News Release

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of Public Affairs

DHS Calls on Sanctuary Politicians to Stop Violent Rhetoric Against ICE as Assaults Increase by More Than 1,600% Assaults against ICE officials have risen by more than 1,600% compared to the first year and a half of the Biden Administration WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement calling on sanctuary politicians across the country to stop using hateful and violent rhetoric against the men and women of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who are currently facing a more than 1,600% increase in assaults against them. According to the latest data, there were 647 assaults against ICE from January 20, 2025 to September 20, 2026, compared to just 37 under the Biden Administration from January 20, 2021 to September 20, 2022. This marks an increase of 1,649%. “The brave men and women of ICE, who are simply enforcing the laws mandated by Congress and protecting the American people, are under attack every single day. Since President Trump unleashed ICE to do their jobs, assaults against them have risen by more than 1,600% in the first year and a half of the administration,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This is the result of the vicious lies being spread by sanctuary politicians and their foot soldiers who are involved in anti-ICE riots and other acts of violence. DHS is calling on these sanctuary politicians to stop attacking federal law enforcement, stop putting the needs of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of American citizens, and to start working with us to make America safe again.” Below are some of the most egregious examples of hateful rhetoric by sanctuary politicians against ICE: Representative Greg Casar said “we will all be more safe when ICE gets the hell out of Austin, Texas.” Representative Lloyd Doggett falsely claimed that illegal aliens “are not posing any danger to our community and are contributing to our community,” while also saying that ICE “acts in a secretive way as if it’s above the law.” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson falsely claimed that ICE has a “rogue nature” and “foment[s] chaos.” Austin City Councilwoman Krista Laine falsely claimed that ICE is “terrorizing our cities and threatening the safety of our residents.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz compared ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo.” Representative Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols…disappearing people based on their skin color,” and also accused ICE of “turning us into Nazi Germany.” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker claimed that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany because of ICE’s heroic efforts. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared mask-wearing ICE agents to a Neo-Nazi group. Representative Becca Balint compared ICE law enforcement officers to “vigilantes” engaging in “kidnapping.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public. Representative Dan Goldman posted an online video calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest. California Governor Gavin Newsom released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest. Representative Shri Thanedar introduced the Abolish ICE Act and stated that ICE “cannot be reformed and must be abolished.” Representative Ilhan Omar delivered a House floor speech calling to abolish ICE. Representative John Larson called ICE law enforcement officers “the SS” and “the Gestapo” for arresting criminal illegal aliens. Representative Pramila Jayapal called ICE agents “deranged” and said it is “inspiring” to obstruct immigration enforcement. Representative Eric Swalwell compared ICE agents to a “KGB officer in Russia.” Some examples of the worst violence that ICE has faced in recent months as a result of this rhetoric include: In January 2026, three rioters attacked an ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with one of them biting off one of his fingers. In November 2025, a pedophile and illegal alien hammered an ICE officer in the face with a metal coffee cup in Houston, Texas, breaking his lip open with a laceration requiring 13 stitches. In December 2025, an illegal alien viciously bit an ICE officer while resisting arrest in Tullos, Louisiana. In August 2025, while facing menacing taunts and harassment from a crowd on the street, an illegal alien violently resisted arrest in Washington, D.C., resulting in an ICE officer being thrown on the ground and receiving a concussion. In July 2025, a group of violent individuals opened fire on ICE officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, with one police officer being shot in the attack. Eight suspects were convicted in March 2026 and sentenced in June 2026 to decades in prison, ranging from 30 years to 100 years. In September 2025, a sniper opened fire on the Dallas ICE facility, killing two detainees and injuring a third, before taking his own life. In October 2025, DHS announced the arrest of Eduardo Aguilar, an illegal alien from Mexico residing in Dallas, Texas, after he posted on TikTok in Spanish soliciting the murder of ICE. Aguilar’s post from October 9, 2025, called for “10 dudes in Dallas with determination who aren’t afraid to [two skull emojis],” and offered “10K for each ICE agent.”  In August 2025, as law enforcement attempted to carry out its sworn duties, anti-ICE rioters surrounded and assaulted four federal agents. The agents sustained injuries from pepper spray deployed by rioters and a jammed finger. One individual was charged with assault and destruction of federal property. According to court filings, the suspect slashed the tire of a government vehicle and threatened to stab a law enforcement officer. In August 2025, a cowardly rioter threw a rock through a window of a building that had an ICE sub-office in Yakima, Washington. A fire was then set at the back of the building. In June 2025, rioters in Los Angeles, California, threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and launched fireworks at ICE law enforcement and Border Patrol officers. In June 2025, ICE led an operation to arrest Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, a known Tren de Aragua terrorist, in Bellevue, Nebraska. As ICE and their law enforcement partners attempted to take him into custody, Hurtado-Cariaco launched a brutal and premeditated assault on an ICE HSI special agent. During the attack, the illegal alien threw the ICE agent to the ground, slammed her head into the pavement, ripped off her body armor, and made repeated physical violent contact. The agent sustained serious injuries to her head and arm and was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. The gang member was charged with attempted murder. Below are some examples of the harassment and threats that ICE officers have faced: In June, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested a man in Washington state who brandished a pistol and a rifle and threatened to shoot ICE agents. In May, the FBI arrested an anti-ICE rioter who threatened to kill an ICE law enforcement officer and his family outside the Delaney Hall facility in New Jersey. In April, HSI arrested a convicted murderer in California who sent threats to then-Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons saying that ICE officers “deserve” to be “executed.” In March, an anti-ICE agitator in North Carolina doxxed an ICE law enforcement officer by mailing postcards with the officer’s name and face. In February, police arrested a man in Oregon who had penned an anti-ICE manifesto, which detailed plans to kill ICE personnel with Molotov cocktails and a gun. In January, a man left a voicemail for an ICE officer in Minnesota which included threats to kill the officer’s family. In September 2025, an investigation by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility in San Diego led to the arrest of a man who was accused of doxxing an ICE attorney by posting her personal information online and urging others to harass her. Court documents allege that in February 2025, the suspect posted the attorney’s home address to social media and directed others to “swat” her, a tactic involving false emergency calls to provoke an armed law enforcement response. The documents further allege he used multiple accounts and conducted a harassment campaign against the attorney and her family dating back to January 2024. In August 2025, law enforcement arrested a suspect who made bomb threats to an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. In August 2025, a threatening letter with a white powdery substance was sent to an ICE office in New York City. In June 2025, while carrying out an enforcement operation in Omaha, Nebraska, an illegal alien from Honduras threatened federal officers and agents with a box cutter. # # #