by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
Politicians should stop attacking immigration officers trying to enforce laws while putting their lives at risk, border czar Tom Homan said during a press briefing on Dec. 13 that involved officials from the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
“I’m begging the politicians, the governors, the mayors who constantly attack these men and women, please stop. I don’t want to bury anybody else. It’s not a joke. We’re all there enforcing the laws. Not only I care about the safety of the men and women in uniform, I care about the safety of those who we’re looking for and apprehending,” Homan told reporters.
“I want you to remember three o'clock this morning, I bet every one of you will be sleeping comfortably in your bed. These men and women will be standing on a dirt trail someplace because a sensor went off. Is it just someone coming for better life? Or was it a heavily armed drug smuggler? They don’t know, but they’re going to take it on. Every night across this nation.”
Homan praised the men and women of CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other federal law enforcement who are involved in building what he called the “most secure border.”
There have been multiple incidents of immigration enforcement officers being attacked while carrying out their duties.
In a Dec. 10 statement, ICE said more than 100 people attempted to impede an investigation, locking a gate to trap agents within a restaurant. The investigation was part of a multi-year probe targeting a transnational criminal organization.
“Agitators quickly turned violent, assaulting officers and slashing tires,” it said.
Two Homeland Security Investigations Special Response Team operators were injured, with one suffering a knee injury while the other ruptured a bicep. Two U.S. citizens were arrested for assaulting a federal officer, obstruction, and damaging a government vehicle.
An ICE officer was attacked by an illegal immigrant from Louisiana who “savagely bit the officer’s hand while resisting arrest,” DHS said in a Dec. 12 statement. The bite tore through the skin and drew blood, according to DHS. The agency called on politicians and the media to halt calls to resist ICE enforcement.
“DHS law enforcement is facing a 1,150 percent increase in assaults against them and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats. This is the reality of what our ICE officers are facing every day as they go to work to simply do their job and enforce the law,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
Protestors taunt federal agents in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 3, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Protecting ICE Officers
Certain lawmakers and local officials have maintained a negative view of immigration enforcement.
During a Sept. 30 news briefing, Katrina Thompson, the mayor of Broadview, Illinois, demanded that ICE and DHS stop what she called “hostile actions” against the local community.
She alleged officers were deploying chemical agents and physical force against protestors, and said there was a “pattern of escalating aggression” from ICE agents against demonstrators exercising their First Amendment rights.
In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that makes it a misdemeanor crime for officers to wear face coverings while doing their jobs.
Newsom said his state was “pushing back” against actions of the Trump administration.
“It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie. Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally disappearing. No due process, no rights in a democracy where we have rights,” he said.
Federal agents have been wearing masks to protect their identities and prevent them and their families from being doxxed by activists.
On Nov. 17, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California and its officials, challenging the law and other legislation, arguing they pose considerable personal safety risks for agents, including doxxing and harassment.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
DHS is taking action against people who threaten immigration officers.
Last week, DHS announced it had arrested two people from New Jersey who allegedly threatened to shoot ICE officers “on sight.” The individuals also threatened to hang McLaughlin, the agency said in a Dec. 9 statement.
U.S. citizens Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, who are twins, were charged with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to commit terroristic threats and unlawful possession of an assault weapon. The Epoch Times was unable to reach the pair’s attorneys for comment at the time.
“Let this be a warning to anyone who dares threaten or attack our brave law enforcement officers,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. “If you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
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