In the increasingly bitter fight over illegal immigration, ICE agents have become political symbols – lightning rods of anger on both sides of the aisle – as much as law enforcement has. To some, they represent an overreaching government enforcing harsh border policies. To others, they are front-line defenders of national security. That polarization is spilling from political rhetoric into real-world violence. From firebombs to ambushes to viral social-media threats, attacks on ICE now mirror the country’s larger divide over immigration itself, a battle fought not only in Congress and courts but also on the streets and online.
The Increasing Violence Against ICE
On Oct. 9, a 23-year-old Mexican illegal immigrant posted a video on the social-media platform TikTok in which he offered a bounty of $10,000 for each ICE agent killed. Reviewed by federal authorities, the video sought “10 dudes in Dallas with determination who aren’t afraid to [skull emojis]” – over a background image of the city. The skull emoji was regarded by investigators as a symbolic call to violence, as the New York Post reported.
The suspect, identified as Eduardo Aguilar, entered the United States in 2018 as an unaccompanied minor and was subsequently ordered deported in 2019, yet he remained in the country illegally. During his arrest, agents discovered a loaded 9mm handgun in his vehicle, which is a violation for illegal migrants.
In August, according to court filings, Adrian Guerrero slashed the tire of a government vehicle and threatened to stab a law enforcement officer. While standing arm's length from the officer, Guerrero made repeated threats, stating: “I’m going to f--- you up,” “I’m going to go after your family,” and “I’m going to stab you,” according to a press release by DHS.
Acting US Attorney Nancy Larson warned: “Threats against our law-enforcement officers are completely unacceptable. All threats against our agents and officers will be investigated thoroughly, and anyone who threatens or puts a bounty on agents will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin added, “Our agents are facing ambushes, terrorist attacks, and death threats … We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice.”
Polarization Causing More Unrest
Federal officials say that attacks and threats against ICE officers have been rising quickly in recent months. On July 4, in Alvarado, TX, a group of a dozen people wearing tactical gear launched an ambush on an ICE detention center. They set off fireworks to lure officers outside, then opened fire with rifles, injuring a local police officer in the neck. Prosecutors have charged several suspects with attempted murder.
On Sept. 24, a shooter blasted from a rooftop at an ICE facility in Dallas, killing one detained immigrant and critically wounding two others. Unused bullets recovered at the scene bore the inscription “ANTI-ICE.” One ICE agent in California said he was dragged by a car during an arrest; another in Nebraska was slammed to the ground and hospitalized.
In September, protesters in Portland, OR, gathered outside an ICE facility with a guillotine. The list of violent actions against federal law enforcement seems almost endless.
Traditionally, ICE officers focus on arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants, but now they also face serious threats to their own safety. Officials say some attackers are driven by anger toward immigration enforcement as a whole, not by personal disputes. At the same time, the presence of ICE agents in communities can trigger backlash from residents and advocacy groups, inhibiting their work and local cooperation.
Political Rhetoric Fans the Flames
DHS officials say agents now face more than just personal threats. There are organized plots against them, attacks outside detention centers, and online posts urging people to commit mayhem. A press release from the agency in September reads: “Following the evil act of political violence witnessed in the country last week and two attempts to resist arrest resulting in severe injuries of ICE law enforcement officers — one being drug by a car and another hit by a car — DHS is calling on the media, leftist groups, and sanctuary politicians to end their demonizing DHS law enforcement. This hateful rhetoric is inspiring political violence in our country and assaults against our brave DHS law enforcement.”
To back up the request, DHS called out several politicians for their hate-inspired words. Here are just a few:
Jasmine Crockett (D-TX): “When I see ICE, I see slave patrols.”
Tim Walz (D-MN): Said ICE was "Trump's modern-day Gestapo.”
“While ICE agents are taking down Venezuelan gun traffickers on the streets of Chicago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is on podcasts claiming that the United States is ‘essentially’ becoming Nazi Germany as a result of their heroic efforts,” according to an X post by Rapid Response 47.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu: "I don't know of any police department that routinely wears masks. We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks,” Wu said. National Socialist Club-131 is a neo-Nazi and white supremacist group founded in 2019.
Dan Goldman (D-NY): Refers to ICE as authoritarian and the secret police. He’s also called on NYC officers to arrest ICE agents for making wrongful arrests.
Eric Swalwell (D-CA): Compared ICE to a bank robber or a KGB officer in Russia.
Rebecca Balint (D-VT): Says ICE is like vigilantes engaged in kidnapping.
Cynthia Gonzalez, vice mayor of Cudahy, CA, allegedly shared a video on social media where she appeared to encourage 18th Street and Florencia 13 gang members to protect their turf from ICE agents.
“On July 14, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal was among the mob of rioters who attacked federal immigration authorities as they executed a criminal search warrant at a marijuana facility. Rep. Carbajal doxed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee, who was subsequently attacked by rioters and sent to the emergency room,” DHS said in its press release.
As Liberty Nation News’ Graham Noble wrote regarding political violence:
“The political left has now spent so many years calling conservatives and Republicans fascists, Nazis, and bigots who are out to destroy democracy that it seems elected Democrats have convinced themselves these insane accusations are accurate. That means they no longer feel the need to condemn calls for political violence against such evil opponents.”
Attacks on law enforcement are happening far too often, and ICE agents are feeling the impact. What used to be a political debate over immigration has turned into a real danger for the people enforcing the law. Some politicians and activists on the left have compared ICE to the KGB or other secret police, language that paints agents as villains instead of officers doing their jobs. That kind of talk spreads fear and anger, making violence more likely. Officials warn that when public figures use these extreme comparisons, it stirs not only opinions but also hostility that can put lives at risk.
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