In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem presents her defense of federal agents’ actions in enforcing immigration law, particularly in Portland and Chicago. Here’s her list of particulars:
Our officers have been shot at and assaulted. They have faced death threats, doxxing and confrontations at their homes. Spotter networks in Chicago linked to street gangs and Mexican cartels track the movements of officers for Customs and Border Protection as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, relaying locations and enabling ambushes during routine enforcement operations.
This month a member of the Latin Kings gang was charged with putting a bounty on the life of Border Patrol Commander at Large Gregory Bovino. The illegal alien charged with placing that bounty was arrested, has pleaded not guilty, and will face justice. The incident shows the enormous risk law-enforcement officers face to make our cities safe again.
A self-styled anarchist website in Portland, Ore., encouraged supporters to use high-powered laser pointers to bring down federal helicopters in the area.
In Dallas an anti-ICE terrorist opened fire on an ICE facility intending to kill officers. Instead, he killed two detainees. In Alvarado, Texas, Antifa terrorists ambushed ICE officers at a detention facility, wounding a local police officer in the neck.
I think the law should be enforced but it should be enforced lawfully and scrupulously. I’m not convinced that is the case. Perhaps, as details come out in the upcoming court case more facts will be presented.
I have no idea whether the charges she levies are correct or not. There is pretty good documentation of the last incident she mentions, the murder of two illegal immigrants in Dallas.
I’ve been critical of Illinois’s governor and Chicago’s mayor because I think that they don’t believe that the law should be enforced and their statements have the effect of stoking discontent.
I am not especially inclined to believe Noem since we have seen far too many recordings of federal officers initiating confrontations and we have seen them grab too many people and either release them with no charges or drop charges. It’s also telling that in some cases they couldn’t get grand juries to indict, which almost never happens. I would want to see third party confirmations for her claims.
To be clear, I am sure some people have been injured. That happens with all police. I just haven’t seen any believable evidence that supports needing federal troops or having masked, anonymous officers with little training or experience carrying out inner city raids.
You could be correct, or perhaps the governor and mayor want their citizens to be safe. Their own police, who have much more training and experience may be telling them the newbies are exaggerating their claims or they think the federal officers are prioritizing arrests over public safety.
Steve
The over 1,000 percent increase in attacks on federal officers is plausible given that interior enforcement has been uncommon for quite awhile, and there is a pre-existing resistance mindset to tap into. NPR thinks the number increased only about 25%, but I suspect a large part of the difference is the time period compared.
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/10/nx-s1-5565146/white-house-claims-more-than-1-000-rise-in-assaults-on-ice-agents-data-says-otherwise
Notice much of the litigation doesn’t inure to the benefit of foreign nationals, but to citizen protestors.