Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday accused a suspected immigrant of ramming Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles in San Antonio, resulting in an agent’s hospitalization.
In a tweet, Abbott referred to the unnamed individual as a “criminal illegal alien” and said “organized groups are obstructing immigration enforcement across the country, putting officers and law abiding civilians at risk. These criminals must be arrested.”
Abbott was echoing a claim originally made by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on Fox News’ Hannity program Tuesday night.
Abbott’s tweet also linked to an article on the Fox News website about the San Antonio incident, including video footage in which ICE agents box in the vehicle with their cars as the driver attempts to leave. The clip shows the suspect trying to use their car to push the ICE vehicles parked in front and back out of the way.
During his appearance on Hannity, Lyons blamed Democratic lawmakers for putting ICE agents in danger.
“When we hear elected officials calling upon individuals to impede or obstruct ICE law enforcement operations nationwide, you’re going to see incidents like this,” Lyons said. “You saw the officers and agents attempting to apprehend a criminally illegal alien, and there they are using their car as a weapon.”
An agent involved in the incident was sent to the hospital with neck injuries, Lyons told host Sean Hannity.
“Every day, this is what the men and women of ICE are facing,” Lyons added. “It’s constant impediments, constant attacks like this. And it’s not safe for my folks, it’s not safe for the public. It really needs to stop.”
Lyons also asserted that the incidents are part of an “organized effort” by “criminal gangs,” rather than actions by individuals cornered by agents.
“It’s a constitutional right to go out there and protest. But when you have organized criminal gangs, which these are, that are organizing these groups to, again, impede or obstruct law enforcement operations … that’s a criminal act,” he said. “I will tell you that Homeland Security investigations, my folks, the FBI, we’re investigating these and people can be held accountable because you can’t organize groups to go out and impede law enforcement. It’s a criminal act, and we have to act swiftly to prevent this from spreading.”
Tensions seem to be rising among activists, immigrants, and those profiled by ICE in response to escalations in the agency’s use of force in cities across the country. Potentially adding to their fears, official rhetoric from the White House has claimed that officers are immune from prosecution for such acts.
Monday, the Department of Homeland Security also tweeted a message from White House Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller directed at its agents on Fox News. In the clip, Miller echoed claims by Vice President JD Vance that agents have “absolute immunity,” even in the case of Renee Good’s shooting death by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
“To all ICE officers: You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties,” Stephen Miller said on Fox News. “Anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony.”
However, the law does not actually provide ICE agents with immunity, and some attorneys are taking a stand, including a candidate for District Attorney in San Antonio.
On the Tuesday night program, Hannity also asked Lyons about remarks by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krassner pledging to prosecute ICE officers for any crimes they commit.
“The men and women of ICE, the men and women of HSI, they’re not committing any crimes,” Lyons argued. “So he doesn’t have to worry about arresting any of my folks, because what we’re doing is we’re enforcing the law. We are out there every day making this nation and his city safe again.”
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