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After a year in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement dramatically expanded its operations under President Donald Trump While facing a rise in attacks on government officials, the agency is recognizing “the best of the best” agents for particularly heroic actions in the line of duty.
In a statement Friday, ICE said that “despite the obstacles they face, including a record number of violent anti-ICE rioters targeting law enforcement, terrorist attacksand through the bounties placed on their heads, our brave officers have proven their commitment to upholding the rule of law in the United States and keeping America safe again.”
According to the agency, attacks on agents increased by 1,347 percent, and death threats against them increased by 8,000 percent. ICE blamed the rise on “lies and smears from sanctuary politicians and radical activists, as well as hoaxes propagated by the media.”
“Despite this, their heroic efforts have produced historic results in helping DHS remove more than 622,000 illegal immigrants” ICE said, noting that tens of thousands of these deportees were criminals, including murderers, rapists, child abusers, terrorists and gang members.
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ICE agents during a week-long immigration operation in Houston, Texas. (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
“This, coupled with more than 2 million illegal aliens who choose to self-deport has created a cycle that benefits American society,” the agency said, adding: “As ICE continues to deport more illegal aliens, more illegal aliens are wisely choosing to self-deport and avoid arrest.”
Among the stories the agency covered was a July 11 incident in Philadelphia in which two ICE officers encountered a truck that veered off the road and crashed into a tree. The agency said the pair “spring into action, rescuing the driver and extinguishing the engine fire while awaiting the arrival of emergency services.”
IN DallasThe agency said ICE officers witnessed the pickup truck lose control after losing a wheel, causing it to roll over seven times and land upside down. ICE said its officers and two bystanders forced open the truck's door and pulled the driver to safety.
On September 25, ICE reported that its members Denver A special response team saved the life of another man by pulling him from a burning car on the highway. The agency said the group was heading to a processing plant in Broadview, Illinois, on Sept. 25 when they approached the fiery aftermath of a multi-vehicle crash on the highway.
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ICE said the quick response of agents at the crash scenes in Dallas (left) and Philadelphia (right) saved lives. (ICE)
ICE said that “as smoke began to billow from the small vehicle, officers quickly responded and found a man inside the dashboard with his legs pinned, unconscious and covered in blood.”
Agents broke the car window, extricated the man and administered first aid before emergency personnel arrived on scene and transported him to the hospital.
In Nuevo, California, the agency said an on-duty ICE officer found a man with a serious neck wound on Oct. 2 and quickly provided life-saving treatment while instructing his son to call 911.
ICE said the officer used his own first aid kit and applied a pressure bandage to stop heavy bleeding and stabilize the victim before emergency personnel arrived to transport the victim to the hospital.
Just weeks later, on Oct. 21, the agency reported that an ICE deportation officer was conducting an enforcement action in Philadelphia when he heard multiple gunshots nearby. The officer then saw three juveniles running from the area and found a man shot in the left thigh, the agency said. ICE said it and members of the Philadelphia Police Department applied a tourniquet and local police took the man to a nearby hospital for treatment.
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In Nuevo, California, the agency said that on Oct. 2, an off-duty ICE officer found a man suffering from a serious neck wound and quickly provided life-saving aid to him while instructing his son to call 911. (ICE)
Commenting on these stories, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said that “courage is measured in actions, not words.”
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“Every day ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] “Officers show up knowing the risks they face—and they choose to serve anyway,” Lyons said. “And throughout the year, officers across the agency demonstrated professionalism, restraint and courage in moments that required just three.”
“These stories remind us that law enforcement has a responsibility to the communities we serve, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of this organization,” he added.
