The Department of Homeland Security said online portals that allow users to report ICE activity put federal officers at risk as the agency cites sharp increases in assaults, vehicle attacks and death threats.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Homeland Security is warning that online portals used to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity are endangering federal law enforcement officers.
DHS issued the statement after Montgomery County, Maryland, created a portal allowing users to share information about ICE activity within the county, according to The Epoch Times.
The department said such systems expose officers to danger while they carry out immigration enforcement operations.
“ICE tracking portals DIRECTLY put the lives of ICE law enforcement in danger as they go after terrorists, vicious gangs, and violent thugs,” DHS posted on X on Thursday.
The department said officers are already facing an increase in threats and attacks.
“Right now, our law enforcement officers are facing coordinated campaigns of violence against them, including a more than 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats,” DHS said.
Earlier this year, DHS said there had been more than 180 vehicular attacks on its agents since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said political rhetoric from sanctuary jurisdictions has contributed to the threats facing federal officers.
“Sanctuary politicians with their rhetoric comparing ICE to the Nazi Gestapo, slave patrols, and the secret police and encouraging illegal aliens to evade arrest have incited violence against law enforcement,” McLaughlin said.
She said officers are facing threats while pursuing criminals and immigration targets.
“We have seen more than 180 vehicle attacks against law enforcement since President Trump took office. In addition to these vehicle attacks, our officers are also facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats as they risk their lives to arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists,” McLaughlin said.
ICE-tracking portals have appeared in several local and state jurisdictions over the past year. Supporters of the portals have described them as tools for reporting enforcement activity and alleged misconduct, while DHS says they can be used to identify and target federal officers.
The attorneys general of Michigan and New Jersey have also established portals allowing people to report what they described as “harmful, illegal actions against our residents.”
DHS said the spread of such portals comes as federal immigration officers face rising threats during enforcement actions.
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