U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are facing an alarming surge in threats and violence from the public, with some direct threats emanating from congressional Democrats. Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons has issued a forceful demand to these politicians: “stop putting my people in danger.”
The heightened tensions come as ICE agents continue to arrest violent foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally for removal, a mission that has drawn the ire of protesters and some elected officials.
At the center of the controversy is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who this week publicly vowed to reveal the identities of ICE agents. Jeffries’ pledge specifically targets agents wearing face masks or facial coverings during arrests, which ICE policy states is primarily to protect their identity.
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“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 asserted. “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 highly inflammatory statement follows an incident where U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was arrested for allegedly assaulting an ICE officer after she and other Democrats reportedly trespassed at a federal detention facility in New Jersey.
In a direct response to Jeffries’ promise to dox federal law enforcement officials, Director Lyons fired back.
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“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,” Lyons stated. He emphasized the common-sense nature of law enforcement and implored, “Politicians need to stop putting my people in danger.”
Lyons escalated his plea to a demand: “I’m not asking them to stop. I’m demanding that they stop.” He directed his message squarely at Jeffries and “anyone else stirring up the outrage about what ICE does,” reminding them, “these are real people with real families you’re hurting with your ridiculous rhetoric and inflammatory comments and it’s time to remember that.” Doxxing, for clarity, is defined as the publicizing of individuals’ names and addresses with the explicit intent to cause them harm.
Surging Assaults and the Reason for Masks
Alarming statistics underscore the gravity of the situation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports a 413% increase in assaults against ICE officers as they carry out arrests.
Lyons directly attributed the agents’ use of masks to concrete threats from California residents. 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 revealed. He further confirmed that California residents were also making death threats against ICE agents’ family members.
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“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,” Lyons declared. He explained that agents are wearing masks because of a prior operation where even Secret Service personnel faced doxxing, with their photos, family members’ Instagram and Facebook pages being targeted online.
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