WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials face surging threats of violence from members of the public as they arrest violent foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally for removal.
Some threats have come from congressional Democrats.
Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons has a message for them: “stop putting my people in danger.”
House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries vowed this week to reveal the identities of ICE agents because they are wearing face masks or facial coverings when making arrests. The primary reason they are wearing them is to protect their identity, per ICE policy.
“Every single ICE agent who’s engaged in this aggressive overreach and are trying to hide their identities from the American people will be unsuccessful in doing that,” Jeffries said. “This is America, not the Soviet Union. … Every single one of them, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes will of course be identified.”
This is after U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-NJ, was arrested for assaulting an ICE officer when she and other Democrats trespassed at a federal detention facility in New Jersey. It also comes as protestors and members of the public are attacking ICE agents performing their duties carrying out removal orders from federal immigration judges.
In response to Jeffries’ pledge to dox federal law enforcement officials, Lyons said, “while it’s easy to be an armchair quarterback and make up talking points that get activists riled up, the bottom line is my officers and agents are out there protecting the same people who are threatening their safety. Law enforcement is common sense. Politicians need to stop putting my people in danger.
“I’m not asking them to stop. I’m demanding that they stop.” To Jeffries and “anyone else stirring up the outrage about what ICE does, these are real people with real families you’re hurting with your ridiculous rhetoric and inflammatory comments and it’s time to remember that,” he said.
Doxxing is the publicizing of names and addresses of individuals with the intent to cause them harm.
As publicity has increased over ICE arrests, “ICE officers are facing a 413% increase in assaults while carrying out arrests,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
Lyons said the reason why ICE agents are wearing masks is because California residents were threatening them and their family members.
During a major operation in Los Angeles, “ICE officers were doxed. People were out there taking photos of the names [of the agents], their faces and posting them online,” Lyons said. California residents were also making death threats against ICE agents’ family members, he said.
“I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and their family on the line because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is. They’re wearing those masks because we ran an operation with the Secret Service [and they made the arrest] someone was going online taking their photos, posting their families, their kids’ Instagram, their kids’ Facebook [pages] and targeting them,” he said.
One reason why ICE agents are in this situation is because “it’s a different situation today after 15 million illegal aliens illegally entered our country under the Biden administration and were released through catch and release and local jurisdictions aren’t participating in ICE’s 287(g) program,” Luisa Deason, former public affairs officer at ICE, told The Center Square. Deason worked under the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations.
The reason why it’s imperative for local officials to participate in ICE’s 287(g) program is “because it improves public safety,” she told The Center Square. “Law enforcement agencies often work together on joint operations. Working with ICE means when criminal aliens are arrested and ICE is able to place a detainer on them they enter ICE custody and aren’t released into the community. It creates a controlled environment. Nobody’s going to get hurt. Those who don’t honor the detainer and release criminal aliens are putting the lives of the agents and everybody else in danger. What’s happening in our communities with people protesting and attacking ICE agents isn’t a secure situation for anybody.
“It’s ludicrous to think that law enforcement officers anywhere in this country won’t cooperate with ICE. They need all the help they can get.”
Law enforcement agencies in 40 states are participating in ICE 287(g) nationwide, with the greatest number participating in Florida, The Center Square reported.
