DHS reports a dramatic rise in attacks on ICE officers: the agency says vehicle-based assaults rose 3,200% year-over-year, with assaults and death threats against personnel also spiking. DHS cited multiple incidents—naming suspects in several cases—and blamed inflammatory rhetoric by sanctuary-minded politicians. Officials vowed continued enforcement and prosecution of attackers, while noting the data reflect DHS's internal counts.
DHS: ICE Agents Report 'Unprecedented' 3,200% Rise in Vehicle Attacks; Agency Cites Surge in Threats and Assaults
During a September traffic stop in Florida, an ICE officer was injured when Henry Isaul Garcia, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, put his car in reverse, allegedly striking the officer in the leg.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers recorded an "unprecedented" 3,200% increase in vehicle-based attacks over the past year. The agency released data it says show a sharp rise in incidents in which vehicles were used to target federal immigration officers, culminating in a recent Minneapolis protest where an ICE officer shot and killed a driver.
Key Figures and Timeline
DHS summarized several dramatic increases over recent reporting periods:
An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, was arrested after "intentionally ramming an officer’s vehicle into a tree," DHS said in December.
- Vehicle attacks: 66 reported since Jan. 21, 2025, versus 2 in the same period the prior year — a 3,200% increase, according to DHS.
- Assaults on ICE personnel: 275 reported from Jan. 20, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, compared with 19 in the comparable period of 2024 — characterized by DHS as a 1,347% increase.
- Death threats: DHS reported about an 8,000% increase in threats directed at agents over the same timeframe.
Notable Incidents Cited by DHS
The agency highlighted multiple incidents it said illustrate the trend:
- A December incident in which DHS identified a Venezuelan national, Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, alleged to be a member of the criminal group Tren de Aragua, who DHS says deliberately rammed a law enforcement vehicle into a tree.
- During Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area, DHS reported two separate October incidents in which individuals it described as criminal illegal immigrants allegedly attempted to ram officers with vehicles.
- In September, DHS reported an ICE agent in Florida was injured after an individual identified as Guatemalan national Henry Isaul Garcia put his car in reverse and struck an officer in the leg, nearly crushing him.
Agency Response and Official Comments
DHS officials attributed the surge in part to what they described as hostile public rhetoric toward federal immigration enforcement. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said sanctuary-minded leaders and certain media narratives "demonize" federal law enforcement and create an environment that encourages assaults. DHS also quoted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s post-incident remark calling for ICE to "get the f--- out of Minneapolis" as an example of rhetoric it views as inflammatory.
Two separate car attacks took place during Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area, authorities said in October.
"This unprecedented increase in violence against law enforcement is a direct result of sanctuary politicians and the media creating an environment that demonizes our law enforcement," DHS quoted McLaughlin as saying. The agency added that ICE and federal partners will continue enforcement operations and that anyone who attacks officers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Secretary Kristi Noem was quoted by DHS delivering a blunt message: "You will not stop or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Context and Considerations
The DHS summary frames the statistics and named incidents as evidence of a growing threat to immigration officers, combining physical assaults and escalating threats. Independent verification of each case and of the broader trends would require additional data from local law enforcement agencies, court records and other sources. The figures reported here reflect DHS's internal counts and characterizations.
Note: The article presents DHS's perspective and attributions. Other stakeholders — including local officials, advocacy groups and independent analysts — may offer differing interpretations of the causes and scale of the reported increases.
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