The Failure to Condemn Incitement Will Lead to More Deaths and Violence

Commentary

Amid the powder keg situation in Minneapolis, a self-described member of the Antifa far-left extremist group took to social media on Jan. 24—just hours after U.S. Border Patrol agents fatally shot protester Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation—to exhort “good men in the streets, armed and ready” to protect innocents from “mass murderers” and “fascist occupiers.”

The response from many political leaders has been a troubling silence!

This silence is concerning. The rhetoric is the extreme extension of the volatile language that far too many elected officials have been using as the Trump administration has been enforcing immigration laws.

Along with characterizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as Nazis and thugs, some officials have been encouraging protesters to physically confront law enforcement officials. This isn’t merely fringe discourse—it is the result of years of harsh rhetoric from leaders who have framed ICE and Border Patrol as Gestapo thugs, slave patrols, and secret police. This goes beyond protected free speech—it is the equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded theater.

The roots of this crisis trace back to policies that created what was effectively an open border that flooded communities with more than 9 million illegal immigrants, including 407,983 convicted criminals, per Department of Homeland Security data and House Oversight reports.

Instead of upholding standard enforcement for those with criminal records, some local policies have released these individuals back into the community. Federal agents are then portrayed as villains when they attempt to apprehend them.

By consistently portraying ICE agents not as protectors upholding federal law but as Nazis, Gestapo, and slave patrols, those doing so are justifying hatred that inspires Antifa figures to call for armed uprisings. This goes beyond free speech criticism—it is an escalation that imperils officers, protesters, and bystanders.

Examples of this rhetoric abound. ICE has been branded a “modern-day Gestapo” and a “public threat.” Agents have been characterized as “slave patrols” and “nondescript thugs” who “terrorize communities” in a “fascist police state.” Federal officers have been described as “vile,” “deranged,” and “secret police” whose presence is an “occupation.”

These types of public statements contribute to an environment of war on law enforcement. Along with the violence, this kind of rhetoric has resulted in the doxxing of law enforcement officers and death threats. And there is nary a peep from those who should be calling for calm, even as the violence and the threats ratchet up.

Beyond this framing, some have explicitly urged confrontation, promoting a climate of lawlessness. This rhetoric inspires civilians to “put bodies on the line,” interfering with arrests of armed criminals and creating situations ripe for tragedy. It is not just free speech; it is a breakdown of civic order that is placing the lives of law enforcement officers and protesters at risk.

Countless movies and books have rightly honored those who took up arms against the Nazi regime. Hence, when ICE officers are portrayed in these same terms, it justifies and normalizes increasing levels of violence toward them and their families.

The Homeland Security Department has reported a 1,300 percent surge in assaults on ICE officers (275 in 2025 versus 19 in 2024), a 3,200 percent increase in vehicular rammings (66 incidents), and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats. Examples include a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member ramming an ICE vehicle in Chicago, a sniper killing two detainees and injuring another at an ICE facility in Dallas, and doxxing leading to family harassment.

But even as this rhetoric fans the fires of violence targeting ICE agents, the danger to protesters grows. The environment of tension being created is one that ICE officers see as increasingly dangerous to themselves and their loved ones. They are understandably on edge. When surrounded by highly charged protesters who have been told that the ICE agents are fascists, the risk of mistakes and bad things happening skyrockets.

Yet even as the violence ramps up, there is a refusal to condemn those calling for doxxing, ramming of ICE vehicles, and violence against ICE. Instead, this inflammatory rhetoric and the unwillingness to enforce the law encourage more violence. A failure to condemn these calls for violence implies support, and this thunderous silence will inevitably lead to more deaths.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.