The Department of Homeland Security called on sanctuary politicians, activists and media outlets Wednesday to reduce rhetoric against federal immigration officers after the department cited a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“Every day, the brave men and women of ICE and CBP put their lives on the line to protect the American people and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “Yet, because of the dangerous smears and hoaxes spread by sanctuary politicians, our officers are facing a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks by illegal aliens and anti-ICE agitators. We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement.”
DHS released the statement as ICE faced a separate national dispute over vehicle stops. ICE reportedly directed its Enforcement and Removal Operations division Tuesday to suspend most vehicle stops nationwide while officers received additional tactical training. President Donald Trump (R) urged agents Wednesday to resume the tactic and called traffic stops one of ICE’s most important crime-fighting tools.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the temporary restriction preserved exceptions for serious criminal targets and joint operations involving judicial warrants. In March, DX embedded with ICE agents during a North Texas operation targeting an MS-13 gang member whom El Salvador wanted for homicide, according to federal officials. Agents monitored the suspect and arrested him during a coordinated vehicle stop.
What the 3,300% figure measures
DHS calculated the 3,300% increase by comparing 68 reported vehicle attacks against ICE officers from January 21, 2025, through January 24, 2026, with two during the same period a year earlier, according to February data. The increase from two to 68 equals 3,300%.
The February update reported 114 vehicle attacks against U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, compared with 51 during the prior-year period, a 124% increase. ICE and CBP recorded 182 attacks combined. The 3,300% figure applies to ICE, not the combined total.
DHS had previously reported 66 ICE vehicle attacks through January 7, 2026. The increase from two to 66 equaled 3,200%. The July 15 release repeated the 3,300% figure but did not provide a newer raw count or comparison period.
DHS lists attacks in Baltimore and San Antonio
DHS highlighted an April 2 incident in Baltimore, where the department accused Honduran national Ever Alvarenga Rios of slamming on his brakes while trying to evade arrest and causing a multi-car collision that injured two ICE officers. DHS identified him as an illegal alien and said officers arrested him after he fled on foot.
The department also cited a January 13 incident in San Antonio. DHS accused Cuban national Robyn Argote Brooks of ramming two ICE vehicles before officers arrested him and identified him as an illegal alien.
Political rhetoric and Dallas context
DHS cited Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and his comparison of ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo,” U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and her comparison of ICE to “slave patrols,” and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and his argument that the United States was becoming Nazi Germany.
The release also cited webinars and online guidance from Democratic officials that DHS said advised illegal aliens how to evade arrest, block entry or prepare for ICE encounters.
The dispute also follows the September 2025 attack on the Dallas ICE field office. As The Dallas Express reported, FBI Director Kash Patel released images of ammunition bearing the words “ANTI-ICE” and called the shooting an ideologically motivated attack. In January, DHS said the gunfire killed two detainees and injured a third.
The July 15 DHS release supplied links to the officials’ statements, speeches and guidance. It did not identify a statement from an accused driver tying an attack to a specific official. DHS presented the broader connection between anti-ICE rhetoric and vehicle attacks as the department’s assessment.
Provided by Dallas Express
