Anti-ICE Rhetoric Endangers Public Safety and Security

Democratic lawmakers and left-wing activists are once again turning political theater into a threat to public safety by ratcheting up anti-ICE rhetoric after a series of high-profile enforcement actions. Instead of calling for calm and honest oversight, some in the party have revived calls to defund or even abolish ICE — a demand that risks collapsing essential homeland security funding and playing straight into the hands of cartels and smugglers.

Former acting DHS chief Chad Wolf pushed back hard on this reckless posture, reminding viewers that ICE does not make law; Congress does, and DHS agents enforce it. Wolf’s plain-spoken rebuke — “take a look at the law” — is exactly the kind of commonsense reminder Americans need when political opportunists mischaracterize the work of men and women who keep our communities safer.

The consequences of demonizing ICE are not abstract. Federal officials have reported ominous signs that anti-ICE agitation can spill into violence, with investigators even finding evidence pointing to explicitly anti-ICE sentiment at attack scenes. When lawmakers egg on hostility toward law enforcement, they should not be surprised if rhetoric inspires real-world attacks on federal agents and their families.

Democrats who threaten to withhold DHS funding are playing political roulette with national security — a stunt that would damage FEMA, TSA and customs operations alongside immigration enforcement. Voters who want order, safe neighborhoods and functioning security at our borders will not be fooled by calls that disregard the complex web of agencies that protect Americans day in and day out.

Conservatives should be unapologetic in defending the rule of law and those who enforce it while also supporting legitimate oversight and reforms where warranted. The right answer is better leadership, not defunding the people charged with stopping drug cartels, human trafficking and the violent criminals who exploit open borders; we need firm policies and full accountability, not grandstanding.

If Democrats truly care about safety and justice, they will cut through the melodrama and work with Republicans to strengthen border security, improve transparency, and ensure ICE has the resources to do its job lawfully. Patriots of every party should reject the dangerous politics of abolition and stand with the brave officers who enforce the law so ordinary Americans can sleep safely in their homes.