On August 13, a man was arrested for allegedly firing shots at two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices in San Antonio, Texas. Investigators told News4 multiple shots were fired into an office building. The bullets were aimed at the upper floors, where ICE employees conduct administrative and executive business. No one was hurt, but a window was broken.
San Antonio Field Office Director Daniel Bible blamed the media, activists, and politicians for rash of violence against ICE’s public safety employees.
“Political rhetoric and misinformation that various politicians, media outlets and activist groups recklessly disseminate to the American people regarding the ICE mission only serve to further encourage these violent acts,” Bible said. “ICE officers put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our communities safe. This disturbing public discourse shrouds our critical law enforcement function and unnecessarily puts our officers’ safety at risk.”
This shooting is the fourth anti-ICE incident in the past month, according to Washington Examiner immigration reporter Anna Giaritelli. The other three occurred in Aurora, Colo., Tacoma, Washington, and Washington DC.
Protesters Attack ICE Facility in Aurora, Colorado
On July 12, anti-ICE protesters took down the American flag flying in front of an ICE facility and raised Mexico’s flag in its place.
According to Fox News, the protesters also took a “Blue Lives Matter” flag and spray painted the words “abolish ICE” on it. Then they proceeded to fly the vandalized flag upside down.
Protestors on @ICEgov property just pulled down the American flag and replaced it with the Mexican flag. The group by the doors is growing. Though most protestors are still on the street. pic.twitter.com/X2waaFMEOW
— Matt Mauro (@mattmauronews) July 13, 2019
In a July 2 tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called ICE detention centers “concentration camps.” Aurora’s protesters said they were “March to Close Concentration Camps.”
These are concentration camps.
According to concentration camp experts, people begin to die due to overcrowding, neglect, and shortage of resources.
We saw all three of those signs on our trip yesterday. Another person died yesterday.
And those are the deaths we know about. https://t.co/MhujNAYohJ
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 2, 2019
Man Attempts to Bomb ICE Facility in Tacoma, Washington
On July 14, police say a man named Willem Van Spronsen arrived at an ICE facility with a rifle and incendiary devices.
Tacoma police told the Seattle Times that Van Spronsen threw flammable items at buildings and vehicles, causing a car fire. Police also said Van Spronsen unsuccessfully attempted to ignite a propane tank.
The man was a self-proclaimed anti-fascist and anarchist. He was shot and killed by police officers.
Protesters Storm ICE Office in Washington D.C.
On July 16, protestors took to the streets of Washington D.C. outside of ICE headquarters. According to WUSA9, 11 protesters were arrested for unlawfully entering the ICE office building. Protesters outside chanted, “Never again means close the camps.”
Three streets around the ICE Hq in #dc, the front doors, and the parking garage were SHUTDOWN today! And 12 folks arrested inside.#AbolishICE #NeverAgain #CloseTheConcentrationCamps @NeverAgainActn @CosechaMovement @cnnbrk @ABC7News @wapo @wusa9 @WNBC pic.twitter.com/kmU1PCfXuN
— DMV Cosecha (@CosechaDmv) July 16, 2019
The protest was led by a group called Never Again Action, which calls to “shut down ICE everywhere.” “Never again” is a reference to the Holocaust, in which six million people were systematically exterminated based on their race or religion.
