Sen. Eric Schmitt used a Senate hearing to warn that vilifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and applauding protesters who block federal operations is fueling violence, prompting National Guard deployments to protect federal personnel and property. He argued the rhetoric has made attacks on law enforcement more likely and urged tougher political clarity on supporting officers who enforce immigration laws. Military leaders on the panel confirmed aggressive tactics by some demonstrators and that federal forces have had to intervene to safeguard operations.
Schmitt opened his remarks focused on a sharp rise in violence against ICE and the risks it creates for agents and communities. “You’ve seen a 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers. So to my Democrat colleagues who want to have this hearing, we got to be honest about what’s actually happening out there. This rhetoric is making it open season on law enforcement. And it is incredibly dangerous,” Schmitt said. His tone was direct and aimed at lawmakers who he says minimize threats to federal officers.
He pushed back hard on the idea that criticizing ICE is harmless political speech, arguing the attacks are personal and deliberate. “So when we villainize ICE agents who have family members, who are husbands, who are mothers, who are simply enforcing the laws that… Congress has passed over the years. This is insane. And the condoning of people blocking off vehicles from, you know, enforcing the law, these ICE agents, this is a powder keg. It’s a powder keg,” he added. That line framed his case for a stronger federal response.
Schmitt also praised the troops and federal forces called in to protect operations, tying the deployments to presidential authority and public safety. He said he is “very thankful for the men and women who are serving this country, who are protecting those agents, who are protecting federal assets. And the president’s well within his authority to do it.” The comment underscored congressional backing for executive action in volatile local situations.
The senator referenced past unrest and named groups he believes coordinate disruptive tactics on the streets, connecting those actions to broader threats. “You have the L.A., sort of Portland scenario, where Antifa, in particular, which is now thankfully been designated not only as a domestic terrorist organization, but a foreign terrorist organization because of their tactics.” He argued these groups operate in decentralized ways that can nevertheless be tracked and disrupted with proper enforcement.
Schmitt insisted the problem is bigger than headline protests, pointing to funding, networks, and safe houses that enable attacks on federal officers. “The fact is, this is a network decentralized that has safe houses and financing across the world, including the United States, who wants to do harm to ICE agents. And so what I don’t hear a lot from my Democrat colleagues — they might condemn the violence, but what’s telling is you don’t hear any of them say, stand back and let ICE do their jobs, because the fact is, they just don’t actually believe in immigration enforcement,” he continued. His remarks challenged colleagues to pick a side on enforcement.
On borders and policy, Schmitt left little room for ambiguity and tied current unrest to a broader deregulatory stance on immigration. “They think that everybody has a right to be here and no one should ever have to go home. Borders don’t really matter. And so the villainizing of our law enforcement agents, especially ICE, is really destructive and leading this. Which then brings us to today, which is why the National Guard has been deployed in places like Los Angeles and in Oregon,” Schmitt added. He used that platform to argue for clearer support of laws and the officers who enforce them.
When he pressed military leadership about the way demonstrators operate, Schmitt asked for practical examples of how federal agents are being targeted. He asked witness Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command, to describe “some of the tactics that are being used right now by these thugs on the streets, these criminals who are seeking to entice federal agents out with firecrackers or whatever it is, so that they can actually take shots at them so they can assault them.” The senator wanted to show a pattern of deliberate, dangerous entrapment.
General Guillot confirmed those tactics and tied them back to Title 10 deployments ordered to protect federal missions in cities with violent demonstrations. “Senator, you just described, many of the tactics that were being used when Title 10 forces were directed into Los Angeles to protect federal activities, to include ICE, conduct of their duties,” Guillot said. His reply supported the view that federal intervention was necessary to stop targeted attacks.
The hearing pulled together lawmaker concerns and military testimony into a single political argument: public officials must stop normalizing attacks on federal officers. Schmitt made it clear he sees the issue as law and order, not partisan theater, and he pressed colleagues to say whether they support allowing federal agents to do their jobs without interference. The exchanges left little doubt that Capitol Hill will keep debating when and how to deploy forces to protect federal operations.
