Leaders over at ICE are pushing back after U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) called the agency a “terrorist force” in a recent social media post, drawing outrage from law enforcement supporters and immigration officials.
In a CNN interview with Brianna Keilar, Jayapal defended her Instagram post calling ICE a “terrorist force,” claiming that people of all legal statuses, even U.S. citizens, are now being abducted off the streets by masked agents without any clear oversight or accountability.
In response, acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons called Jayapal’s comments “reckless” and “dangerous,” pointing out that ICE officers have faced a stark 700% surge in assaults, a spike that could be fueled by the rhetoric from politicians on the far left like Jayapal.
“An actual Antifa terrorist tried to blow up ICE’s Northwest Processing Center in Rep. Jayapal’s home state of Washington in 2019. At the time, she tried to blame the violent attack on rhetoric from the right, in defense of an actual terrorist who tried to murder detainees and employees alike! Lyons said in a statement published on July 3. “Now, she labels ICE officers enforcing immigration law set by Congress ‘terrorists.’ This, at a time when officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults, in part due to the type of rhetoric she spews.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also chimed in, demanding an apology from Jayapal and calling her remarks “disgusting” as well as a direct threat to the safety of federal officers across the country.
“Jayapal’s disgusting comments warrant an immediate apology. Heroic ICE officers are simply doing their jobs and enforcing federal immigration law, with the utmost professionalism,” Jackson said in a recent statement.
Jayapal, however, doubled down during her television interview, claiming that ICE isn’t managed transparently or in accordance with the laws to ensure safety or due process for even legal citizens.
In his closing statement to Jayapal, Lyons said, “Never in a million years did I think I would witness a sitting member of Congress prioritize regard for violent criminals over the law enforcement officers protecting her community from actual public safety threats. The only apology needed is from the congresswoman to the people who voted for her.”
Border Czar Tom Homan also warned that comments like Jayapal’s are fueling real-world violence. During a recent appearance on “The Will Cain Show,” Homan warned that assaults on ICE agents have surged over 500% and criticized a new cell phone app allegedly used to track and potentially target officers.
The attacks on ICE officials and law enforcement agents are now starting to hit close to home.
Eleven anarchist militants were charged in what officials describe as a planned July 4 ambush outside an ICE Detention Facility near Fort Worth, where a police officer was shot in the neck. Authorities say the suspects, dressed in black body armor, opened fire on ICE personnel and local law enforcement in a coordinated attempt to kill, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.