ICE honored several officers for quick, lifesaving responses at crash and violent-incident scenes across the country. The agency reported a 1,347% rise in assaults and an 8,000% uptick in death threats against its personnel and attributed the increases to political and media hostility. Highlighted rescues occurred in Philadelphia, Dallas, near Broadview, Illinois, and Nuevo, California, where officers extricated trapped victims, applied emergency first aid and stabilized patients for transport. Acting Director Todd Lyons praised the officers' courage, professionalism and restraint.
ICE Praises 'Best of the Best' Officers for Lifesaving Rescues at Crash and Violence Scenes
ICE agents during a week-long immigration enforcement operation in the Houston, Texas area.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has singled out a group of officers it called the 'best of the best' for quick, lifesaving actions at several recent crash and violent-incident scenes. In a Friday statement, the agency highlighted the personnel for intervening to rescue victims, provide first aid and stabilize patients while waiting for emergency services.
ICE said its officers have operated amid rising threats and hostility, reporting a 1,347 percent increase in assaults and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against personnel. The agency attributed those trends to what it described as misinformation from sanctuary politicians, radical activists and misleading media reports.
Agency Enforcement Numbers
Alongside the rescues, ICE reiterated enforcement figures: it said Department of Homeland Security efforts resulted in more than 622,000 removals of people living in the U.S. unlawfully, including tens of thousands who were alleged to be criminal offenders. ICE also said more than 2 million people chose to self-deport, a dynamic the agency described as reinforcing public safety by encouraging voluntary departures.
ICE said that agents' quick response at Dallas (left) and Philadelphia (right) crash sites saved lives.
Notable Rescue Incidents
Philadelphia (July 11): Two ICE officers came upon a pickup that had veered off the road and struck a tree. The officers rescued the driver and extinguished an engine fire while awaiting emergency responders.
Dallas: ICE officers witnessed a pickup lose a tire, roll seven times and land upside down. With assistance from two bystanders, officers pried open the door and pulled the driver to safety.
Near Broadview, Illinois (Sept. 25): Members of ICE’s Denver special response team encountered the aftermath of a multi-vehicle collision. They found an unconscious man with his legs pinned under the dashboard of a smoking car, broke the window, extricated him and administered first aid until paramedics arrived.
ICE said that in Nuevo, California, the agency said that on Oct. 2, an off-duty ICE officer discovered a man suffering from a serious neck wound and quickly provided lifesaving aid to him while instructing his son to call 911.
Nuevo, California (Oct. 2): An off-duty ICE officer found a man with a severe neck wound. Using a personal first-aid kit, the officer applied a pressure bandage to control heavy bleeding and stabilized the victim until emergency personnel took over.
Philadelphia (Oct. 21): While conducting enforcement work, an ICE deportation officer heard gunfire nearby and located a man who had been shot in the thigh. The officer and Philadelphia police applied a tourniquet, and the victim was transported to a hospital.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, 'Courage is measured by actions, not words.' He praised Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel for demonstrating professionalism, restraint and courage while serving their communities.
ICE emphasized that these accounts reflect officers acting beyond their enforcement responsibilities to provide immediate lifesaving aid. The agency said the stories underscore its view that personnel often face serious risks while carrying out public-safety duties.
Help us improve.
