Federal agent condemns ‘dangerous’ trend of Democrats using ICE as campaign props

A federal special agent who works on deportations criticized a 'dangerous' trend of Democratic politicians and candidates vilifying law enforcement and using anti-ICE protests as campaign backdrops to gain attention and notoriety. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the agent said Democrats are using ICE agents as campaign props, especially in light of a deadly gunman’s attack at an ICE facility in Dallas on Wednesday.

The agent said that third-party bystanders who have been riled up to believe that I’m kidnapping somebody present a significant danger to not only the operation but also the agents, the immigrants involved and the public. This danger was on full display on Wednesday when a gunman carrying rounds with anti-ICE messages opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and injuring two others. Sources familiar with the investigation identified the alleged attacker as Joshua Jahn, 29. DHS and President Donald Trump called on Democrats to tone down their anti-ICE rhetoric in light of the episode.

In recent weeks and months, many leading Democrats have ramped up the rhetoric against ICE agents, accusing them of racially profiling people and terrorizing communities. Some have gone as far as attempting to interfere with ICE operations themselves. Last week, Kat Abughazaleh, an activist and Democratic congressional candidate, posted a video of herself participating in a protest outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, with the caption, "This is what ICE violates our First Amendment rights." The video showed armed, masked federal officials forcibly removing Abughazaleh from the front of an ICE vehicle that she appeared to be blocking. Other agents can be seen directing Abughazaleh and a group of protesters to get out of the way of the vehicle. In response, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Abughazaleh of being a "fame-hungry, cable TV candidate" who was "so desperate for her 15 minutes of fame that she will go so far as to put our law enforcement at risk and obstruct justice." A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital that Abughazaleh’s "irresponsible behavior inciting violence and encouraging lawlessness puts a selfish publicity stunt over the safety of officers, facility employees and detainees."

Last week, New York City Democratic Comptroller Brad Lander staged a sit-in protest at ICE offices in the city. The group reportedly attempted to force their way into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices and holding cells, demanding access to the facility. Lander was arrested by DHS agents on June 17, 2025. Video from the incident at 26 Federal Plaza shows a chaotic scene as Lander clung to ICE personnel during the removal of a detainee. He repeatedly asked officials if they had a judicial warrant, saying, "Where is it? Where is the warrant?!" Lander’s arrest came about a month after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, then a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested for trespassing on an ICE detainee facility called Delaney Hall. Baraka’s incident, captured by multiple outlets, underscored the broader pattern of confrontations around ICE operations in sanctuary jurisdictions.

The agent said that tense, dangerous situations involving protesters interfering with operations have become a regular occurrence for agents, especially in liberal sanctuary jurisdictions. "When they come to you and they’re yelling and screaming at you, I don’t know who you are. I’ve never met you. You’re calling me, whatever you’re calling me. That gets very, very stressful," the agent said. "When they’re yelling at me, at the same time, they’re attracting the attention of other people. But I’m trying to focus on getting this person handcuffed, processed, interviewing them, determining their alienage, while someone’s yelling at me or someone’s getting in my face. That gets dangerous, it really does." The agent added that ICE and other federal law enforcement officials are simply enforcing U.S. laws enacted by elected representatives. "At the end of the day, the law is as written. What other laws do they not want to enforce? Should we ignore elder fraud? Should we ignore child slavery? Which laws should we ignore?"

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Cameron Arcand, Sandy Ibrahim, Emma Bussey and Bill Melugin contributed to this article. Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.