Staff Reports
The Department of Homeland Security quietly dropped a raw set of numbers this week that should make every sane person worry. The new DHS data shows a startling jump in attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin isn’t shy about naming who he thinks is fanning the flames.
DHS data: assaults against ICE officers spike dramatically
The DHS report compares assaults during the first 21 months of President Trump’s second term to the first 21 months of the Biden administration and finds a dramatic rise. The tally: roughly 647 assaults versus just 37 — a rise of more than 1,700 percent. Death threats and other hostile acts against ICE personnel have also climbed sharply, with the department calling the trend “alarming.” Those numbers are not abstract; they are federal agents hurt, terrified, or worse.
Violent incidents show the human cost
This isn’t just a spreadsheet. The last year has seen masked rioters biting off a finger, Molotov cocktails thrown at agents, officers dragged behind cars, and organized ambushes on facilities. Doxxing of ICE employees, fake SWAT calls, and envelopes with suspicious powders sent to field offices have become part of the daily threat landscape. These are crimes, not protest tactics — and the damage is real, from physical injury to families living under threat.
Rhetoric matters: sanctuary politicians and violent language
Secretary Mullin was blunt: politicians who cheer on sanctuary policies and use incendiary language are helping create a dangerous atmosphere. Democrats and activists have compared ICE to “modern day Gestapo” and worse — colorful accusations that are useful for fundraising and headlines, but stupid and reckless when agents are getting shot at and swatted. Words have consequences; when public figures demonize federal officers, they lower the bar between criticism and violence.
Fixes? Start with accountability and common sense
We can protect the rule of law without cheering for cruelty — and we can criticize policy without cheering on attacks. Elected officials should stop the irresponsible rhetoric, law enforcement must be given the tools to pursue and prosecute attackers, and social platforms need to take doxxing and SWAT threats seriously. If America means anything, it means people who enforce our laws should be able to do so without becoming targets. The DHS data is a wake-up call — politicians should respond with leadership, not more cheap theatrics.
