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Jun 21, 2025 Todd Lyons and DHS cited unverified statistics claiming a 413-500% increase in assaults on ICE officers to justify masked, unidentified agents Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
Using unsubstantiated data to justify expanded enforcement tactics conflates threats with actual violence and misleads the public about enforcement necessity.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Independently corroborated by1 independent news desk
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- ICE Director Claims Increased Assaults Against Officers — Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, justified the use of plainclothes, unidentified agents by citing a 413% increase in assaults against ICE officers. Philip Bump of the Washington Post investigated the claim and found ICE conflated "threatening to assault" with actual assault, avoided disclosing absolute numbers, and refused to provide evidence. Bump concluded ICE's representations should not be taken at face value. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently posted on social media claiming a 500% increase in assaults.
- Department of Homeland Security Attributes ICE Officer Assaults to Democratic Opposition — After Philip Bump's Washington Post article questioned ICE's assault statistics, the Department of Homeland Security posted on social media claiming a 500% increase in assaults and stating: "Make no mistake, sanctuary politicians are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE." The statement blamed Democratic legislators for violence against ICE officers.
- ICE Director Lyons defended masked agents and claimed doxxing threat — ICE Director Todd Lyons was asked on Newsmax about calls from Democrats for ICE agents to stop wearing masks. Lyons stated that ICE agents did not have to wear masks before or after January 20, that he personally does not want officers wearing masks because it is hot and dangerous, but that ICE agents are being doxxed at a horrible rate. The bulletin notes that there have not been any incidents of anyone going to the homes of ICE agents and threatening them or their families.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 23 – 2025-06-21–2025-06-27
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