Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, said Friday she wants people who make online threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and other federal authorities to be prosecuted.
“Any threats of violence against these courageous law enforcement officers and agents should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Britt said in a statement to Newsweek.
There has been a spike of such threats being made on social media amid President Donald Trump’s efforts at mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
On Wednesday, federal authorities said they arrested a U.S. citizen in Texas for allegedly making “terroristic threats” against ICE agents and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The arrest came days after someone on TikTok posted a video calling on people to “shoot at ICE agents on sight.”
“Shoot at ICE agents on sight,” the user said in the video, which appeared to be taken down Sunday night, according to the New York Post. “That’s right. If ICE agents are trying to take you or a loved one, shoot them on sight.”
No arrest has yet to be made in that case, although Noem posted Sunday on X in a thread that contained the video: “If you threaten or attempt to harm a law enforcement officer we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The hardworking men and women at CBP [Customs and Border Patrol], DHS, and ICE are tasked with keeping our nation secure, our communities safe, and our families protected,” Britt said. “Each and every day, they put their lives on the line to protect our nation.”
In February, activists in Los Angeles reportedly posted the names, photos and personal information of ICE agents and warned neighborhoods about impending raids. The flyers had photos of agents’ faces and appeared with claims that they “racially terrorize” local communities.
The flyers read “CAREFUL WITH THESE FACES” in Spanish. “They kidnap people from their homes and the streets, separating families and tearing apart communities. Many people have died while locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers.”
“As chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure these officers have the funding and resources they need to do their jobs and keep our homeland safe,” Britt said.
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