By Guy Page and Paul Bean
The White House has responded sharply to Wednesday, June 25 remarks by Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, in which she described U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as acting like “vigilantes” and questioned their legitimacy, saying, “How can we even trust that these are government officials?”
Balint’s remarks, delivered Wednesday during debate over immigration enforcement policy, sparked immediate backlash from the White House, with a statement calling Balint’s comments “deeply irresponsible and dangerous.”
“Our ICE agents are career law enforcement professionals who put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep Americans safe,” the RapidResponse47 White House social media statement read. “Equating them with vigilantes or kidnappers is not only factually wrong, it contributes to a climate of hostility that is already putting these agents at increased risk.”
According to data released by the Department of Homeland Security, assaults on ICE personnel have risen by over 500% in the past year—a trend administration officials say is exacerbated by incendiary political rhetoric.
In her speech, Balint had referenced recent high-profile immigration enforcement operations that she claimed lacked transparency and targeted vulnerable communities.
“When individuals are snatched from their homes in unmarked vehicles, when families are broken up without warning or due process, how can we even trust that these are government officials and not vigilantes acting with impunity?” Balint said.