By THE ALASKA STORY
Assaults against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have risen sharply during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to figures released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS reported 647 assaults from Jan. 20, 2025, through Sept. 20, 2026, compared with 37 during the corresponding period of President Joe Biden’s administration, Jan. 20, 2021, through Sept. 20, 2022. That is an increase of 1,649%. Both periods cover 20 months.
The department called on elected officials who oppose its immigration policies to temper their language. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blamed what he called “vicious lies” about ICE for the violence and said officers enforcing federal law are under attack.
DHS singled out comparisons of ICE officers to the Gestapo and Nazi organizations, along with statements accusing agents of kidnapping or terrorizing communities. Its release cited remarks by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and several members of Congress.
The assault figures establish a steep increase in incidents reported by DHS. They do not, by themselves, establish what caused it.
The release describes several serious attacks. DHS said an agent in Minneapolis lost part of a finger when an assailant bit it off in January. In another case, it said an officer in Houston needed 13 stitches after being struck in the face with a metal coffee cup. It also cited an attack at a Texas detention center in which a police officer was shot.
Other incidents in the release involve threats, harassment or attacks on property.
