House GOP Targets Anti-Police Rhetoric Amid ICE Violence Surge
The House Homeland Security Committee is set to hold a hearing on December 3, examining the connection between anti-law enforcement rhetoric and the surge in violence against officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The hearing follows a sharp increase in attacks on federal immigration officials, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reporting a nearly 700% rise in assaults against ICE officers compared to 2024. Lawmakers, including Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., have condemned the violence, urging Congress to provide law enforcement with the necessary resources to protect officers.
The hearing, titled “When Badges Become Targets: How Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric Fuels Violence Against Officers,” will feature testimony from law enforcement associations, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. It will assess the growing threat posed by anti-police rhetoric and international gangs. The White House has also called on Democrats to curb their inflammatory language toward ICE as the debate over immigration policy intensifies.
The surge in violence against ICE officers has sparked a series of high-profile incidents, including a shooting near ICE’s Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, in July, where an Alvarado Police Department officer was shot in the neck. Five individuals have since pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges stemming from that attack. More recently, a shooter opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas in September, resulting in the deaths of two detainees.
At the time, the FBI classified the Dallas incident as a “targeted attack” against ICE, and DHS stated it had identified shell casings with “anti-ICE” messages. Rep. August Pfluger, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee, emphasized that the Dallas shooting was part of a broader pattern of violence sparked by anti-law enforcement rhetoric and political extremism. He noted that the attack was not isolated and underscored the need for stronger measures to address the issue.
In addition, DHS has reported that Mexico’s cartels have placed bounties on ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel. Despite this, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum claimed she had no information on the matter and insisted her government was seeking more details. Rep. Michael Guest, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s border security and enforcement subcommittee, warned that radicals and transnational criminal organizations are targeting law enforcement, threatening the safety of every American and undermining homeland security.
Meanwhile, the White House has urged Democrats to temper their rhetoric toward ICE, particularly in the context of the ongoing debate over immigration policy. For instance, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., previously criticized ICE for acting “like a terrorist force” in June, a statement she later reaffirmed in a CNN interview, despite pressure from the White House for an apology.