Gov. Greg Abbott is blasting what he calls “organized” efforts to obstruct federal immigration enforcement after a suspected illegal alien in San Antonio allegedly rammed ICE vehicles with a car.
Abbott reported that the incident injured an agent and sent him to the hospital. He added that the incident shows how dangerous the situation has become for officers on the front lines and called for those who attack or impede immigration agents to be arrested.
Abbott’s statement followed an incident in San Antonio in which a driver suspected of being in the country illegally tried to flee an ICE operation by repeatedly ramming vehicles that had boxed him in. Video shows the suspect using his car as a weapon, striking ICE vehicles from the front and back before being taken into custody.
One ICE agent was reportedly hospitalized with neck injuries after his vehicle was hit.
On X, Abbott wrote, “organized groups are obstructing immigration enforcement across the country, putting officers and law abiding civilians at risk. These criminals must be arrested.”
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons echoed Abbott’s concerns in a Fox News interview, saying agents are now facing “constant impediments” and “constant attacks” during enforcement operations. Lyons said incidents like the San Antonio ramming are becoming more common when “criminally illegal aliens” attempt to escape arrest by turning vehicles into weapons.
Lyons also warned that “criminal gangs” are organizing groups to interfere with ICE raids by physically impeding or obstructing officers.
While he acknowledged that peaceful protest is constitutionally protected, he said coordinating efforts to block or disrupt law enforcement actions is “a criminal act” being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and other agencies to hold organizers accountable and prevent the tactic from spreading.
ICE is facing heavy criticism from Democrats and left-wing activists following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Good was shot after she had clipped an ICE agent with her car while impeding their operations.
While some officials are openly calling for ICE agents to be prosecuted, Abbott and Lyons argue that such rhetoric, combined with organized efforts to interfere with operations, is emboldening illegal aliens and making encounters more dangerous for both officers and the public.
