In the wake of a deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing renewed scrutiny for his long history of inflammatory remarks about federal immigration agents. It’s likely his lies and distortions may be fueling the hostility that makes attacks on ICE more likely.
On national television earlier this month, Newsom described ICE as a “private domestic army,” claiming agents operated “like a paramilitary force in our communities.” In another interview, he argued that federal enforcement actions in California resembled “raids you’d expect from an authoritarian regime.”
Just last week, Newsom signed a bill banning ICE agents and other law enforcement officers in California from wearing face-concealing masks such as ski masks and balaclavas. While promoting the measure, he said, “If these officers are proud of what they are doing, they shouldn’t be hiding their faces like vigilantes.”
Democrats have celebrated such comments, but law enforcement leaders warn that the rhetoric has consequences. DHS officials point out that assaults on ICE officers have skyrocketed in the past year, with one report estimating a 1,000 percent increase in attempted attacks. The Dallas shooting only sharpened the concerns.
Just this week, a gunman opened fire from a rooftop onto a transport van inside the Dallas ICE facility’s sally port, killing a detainee and injuring several others before taking his own life. Investigators later revealed he had written “ANTI-ICE” on unused ammunition recovered at the scene, suggesting a clear ideological motive.
Vance Calls Out Newsom
Vice President JD Vance quickly tied the violence to the political climate stoked by Democratic leaders like Newsom. Speaking on Wednesday, Vance unloaded on the continued demonization of law enforcement by people who should know better:
Vance argued that Newsom and other Democrats “created a permission structure for violence” by relentlessly demonizing ICE and undermining the legitimacy of federal enforcement.
It’s one thing to disagree with policy, as Vance notes, it’s another to flat-out lie and inflame hatred toward the men and women who serve and protect. Newsom is a prime example of this when he talks about “authoritarian regimes” snatching people off the street. It’s called immigration enforcement, and if you don’t like the law, lobby Congress to change it.
Silence After the Shooting
Despite the severity of the Dallas attack, Newsom remained publicly silent in its aftermath, even as he urged nonviolence in other contexts. That silence, combined with his past remarks, has warranted sharp criticism.
Immigration enforcement has long been one of the most polarizing debates in American politics as President Trump tries to enforce existing law. Yet with violence now striking ICE facilities directly, Democrats like Newsom should self-examine their words carefully before practically begging a far-left loon to take action.