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FIRST ON FOX: A group of lawmakers is urging Congress to formally condemn “violent attacks” against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as threats against federal facilities escalate.
It comes days after a shooter opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself. Federal authorities have called it a targeted attack.
The resolution is being led by Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas, and House Small Business Committee Chair Roger Williams, R-Texas.
“Since President Trump took office, there has been a rise in hostile rhetoric and violence directed against ICE facilities and officers,” their resolution said.
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It noted the most recent shooting, including officials’ report that one of the bullet casings was inscribed with “ANTI-ICE” on it, and it listed seven other incidents or threats aimed at ICE facilities and offices that have occurred since June.
The resolution said “these acts reflect an escalation of attacks against ICE and federal immigration enforcement operations, including a 1,000 percent increase in assaults on ICE officers.”
It also lauded ICE’s efforts under the Trump administration while warning that “violent, ideologically motivated attacks on ICE not only endanger life, but undermine public trust in the rule of law and impair the capacity of ICE to carry out lawful missions.”
The resolution is largely symbolic and would be an expression of solidarity with ICE if passed by the House.
The recent Dallas ICE facility shooting has seen bipartisan condemnation, but such a measure could divide Democrats with its praise of the Trump administration’s efforts. Democrats have criticized what they have seen as overly harsh tactics in pursuit of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
House Democratic leaders released a joint statement after the shooting that read, in part, “No one in America should be violently targeted, including our men and women in law enforcement who protect and serve our neighborhoods, and the immigrants who are too often the victims of dehumanizing rhetoric.”
Fry, who led the resolution, told Fox News Digital, “It is unacceptable that ICE officers are being targeted for upholding the laws of this country. Congress must send a clear and unmistakable message: violent attacks will not be tolerated, reckless rhetoric will not be excused, and we will stand firmly with those who protect us every day.”
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Pfluger, who leads a 189-member group that acts as a de facto think tank for the House GOP, blamed Democrats’ rhetoric for the attacks.
“Radical leftists would rather see the criminal illegal aliens that the Biden administration let in our country continue to wreak havoc in our communities than support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every single day to uphold our laws and defend American citizens,” he said.
Williams told Fox News Digital, “The heinous targeted attacks on our ICE facilities and officers are unacceptable and must never be tolerated. These men and women put their lives on the line every day to uphold the rule of law, protect our borders, and keep American families safe.”
In a statement posted on X this week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed “toxic anti-ICE rhetoric from sanctuary politicians and radical activists” for the rise in threats against immigration authorities.
It comes amid an increase in high-profile political violence seen over the last year.
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