Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a sweeping memorandum to put an end to the rise of political violence against ICE agents. The directive, sent to the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the director of the Executive Office of US Attorneys, instructs officers and agents to defend ICE facilities, add local law enforcement to the ICE Protection Task Force, and provide assistance to entities protecting ICE.
Detailing the increase of violent incidents and riots across the country, described as “sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence,” Bondi declares, “Enough is enough. The Department of Justice will stand strong when federal law enforcement officers are attacked or threatened for doing their sworn duty on behalf of the United States government.”
“Our officers will suppress all unlawful rioting and arrest every person suspected of threatening or assaulting,” the memo adds.
Sharing the memo on social media, Bondi wrote, “I just issued a memo to all [Justice Department] components making it clear: violence against federal officers will not be tolerated. The DOJ is deploying agents to protect ICE facilities, arrest violent agitators on the spot, and bring the strongest federal charges possible.”
“The rule of law will prevail,” she asserted.
The directive comes after a shooting occurred at an ICE facility in Dallas. Surveillance footage from the facility reveals the moment federal agents risked their lives to save detainees trapped under sniper fire, where agents shielded migrants and rushed them to safety.
The Department of Homeland Security said last week that ICE officers are “facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them, including vehicles being used as weapons towards them, and doxing campaigns targeting federal officers and their families.”
