The Department of Homeland Security reported that assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have risen 1,649 percent since President Donald Trump took office, and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is pointing directly at Democratic politicians and their rhetoric as the cause.
According to a DHS news release, there were 647 assaults on ICE officers from January 20, 2025, through September 20, 2026. During the same span of the Biden administration, from January 20, 2021, through September 20, 2022, only 37 assaults were recorded.
Markwayne Mullin Blames Sanctuary Politicians
Secretary Mullin did not hold back in his statement on the surge. “The brave men and women of ICE, who are simply enforcing the laws mandated by Congress and protecting the American people, are under attack every single day,” he said.
Mullin added, “This is the result of the vicious lies being spread by sanctuary politicians and their foot soldiers who are involved in anti-ICE riots and other acts of violence. DHS is calling on these sanctuary politicians to stop attacking federal law enforcement, stop putting the needs of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of American citizens, and to start working with us to make America safe again.” According to assaults on ICE agents report, DHS directly linked the spike in violence to inflammatory public statements by elected officials.
Democratic Officials Compared ICE to the Gestapo and KGB
Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz called ICE the “modern-day Gestapo” during a May 2025 commencement address at the University of Minnesota. Former California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell compared ICE agents to “some KGB officer in Russia” in separate remarks. Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker made his own historical comparison on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” saying, “You shouldn’t have to walk around with papers the way that they did in the early days of Nazi Germany to prove that you belong and that you’re not one of them.”
DHS pushed back on those comparisons directly, stating on social media that attacks and demonization of ICE officers are wrong and that assaults were already up sharply before several of those statements were made.
What Comes Next for Federal Law Enforcement Safety
DHS is now formally calling on state and local elected officials to cease rhetoric it says is fueling violence against federal agents. The department is urging cooperation with immigration enforcement rather than public opposition to it.
Whether Democratic governors and members of Congress will adjust their language in response to the DHS appeal remains to be seen. The surge in assaults is expected to intensify the political debate over immigration enforcement as the Trump administration continues its expanded ICE operations heading into the final months of 2026.
