Show-Me State Times

U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) has introduced the Protect and Respect ICE Act, a bill that would double the federal penalty for attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The proposal follows what Schmitt describes as a 700% increase in attacks on ICE personnel.

“While the left is focused on villainizing ICE and forcing agents to remove their masks, I’m focused on protecting these heroes who are working tirelessly to deport criminal illegal aliens and keep our communities safe. The punishment for attacking ICE agents should be swift and devastating. This is why I introduced legislation to double the federal penalty for assaulting federal immigration officials, sending a clear message to radical leftists that these attacks will not be tolerated,” said Senator Schmitt.

Recent incidents cited by Schmitt include an ambush involving eleven individuals at an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4th; assaults on federal agents at an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, also on July 4th; and gunfire directed at a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, on July 7th.

The proposed legislation aims to respond directly to these types of violent acts against federal immigration officers.