Sanctuary politicians’ rhetoric led to 1,150% surge in violence against ICE agents: DHS

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday that assaults and violent attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) law enforcement officers have surged more than 1,150% compared to the same period last year under the Biden administration.

From Jan. 21 through Nov. 21, DHS recorded 238 assaults on ICE officers, up from just 19 during the same timeframe in 2024.

Officials said the sharp rise is tied to public “rhetoric” from sanctuary-jurisdiction officials, warning that such language could fuel further violence.

“Sanctuary politicians need to tone the rhetoric down before a law enforcement officer is killed,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “They should be thanking these brave law enforcement officers who risk their lives every single day to arrest pedophiles, rapists, murderers, gang members, and terrorists from our neighborhoods.”

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An ICE agent required 13 stitches after being struck in the face with a metal object, DHS says. (Department of Homeland Security)

“After months of Democrat politicians comparing ICE to Nazis, the Gestapo, slave patrols, and even encouraging illegal aliens to resist arrest, our brave ICE law enforcement officers have been assaulted 238 times,” she added.

According to DHS, officers across the department have faced “a dangerously escalating pattern” of violence in recent months — ranging from hitting, spitting, kicking and biting during arrests to vehicle ramming, gunfire and Molotov cocktail attacks. 

DHS said the violence has included one officer being struck in the face with a metal coffee cup, resulting in a lip laceration that required 13 stitches. Another officer was left bleeding from the head and suffered a concussion while arresting a criminal illegal alien.

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An ICE officer sustained a head injury during an operation, one of over 230 reported assaults on agents this year. (Department of Homeland Security)

“Our law enforcement officers have had Molotov cocktails and rocks thrown at them, been shot at, had cars used as weapons against them, and been physically assaulted,” McLaughlin said.

In September, Guatemalan national Henry Isaul Garcia allegedly reversed his vehicle into an ICE agent’s leg during an attempted arrest in Homestead, Florida, nearly crushing the officer.

Earlier in the summer, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was allegedly part of an organized July 4 ambush on federal officers at the Prairieland Detention Center, where at least 10 individuals opened fire.

A wrecked vehicle is seen after a collision with an ICE agent during an attempted arrest during a traffic stop.   (Department of Homeland Security)

In June, fugitive Eric Anthony Rodriguez, who has a lengthy criminal record, reportedly attempted to attack officers with a Molotov cocktail at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport where 15 ICE and 12 CBP officers were staying. Rodriguez had several prior convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree robbery.

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“These nationwide incidents show how ICE officers are being targeted because of the badge they wear, not just the enforcement operations they execute on behalf of the American people,” DHS said in a press release.

The department added that any attack on those who enforce the nation’s laws amounts to an attack on the rule of law itself.