The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released data showing an 8,000% increase in reported death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. This increase reflects growing concerns about the safety of federal agents involved in immigration enforcement.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE officers are facing higher levels of threats and intimidation. Reported threats include bounties, threats to families, stalking, and online exposure of personal information. McLaughlin noted that some of the increase may be related to public criticism of ICE by certain politicians, including those in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Recent cases illustrate these concerns. In Dallas, Texas, Eduardo Aguilar, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was arrested after allegedly offering money for the murder of ICE agents in a TikTok post on October 9, 2025. In another incident, an ICE officer’s spouse in Texas received a threatening phone call referencing Nazi war crimes and wishing harm to the officer’s family…