Police association endorses ICE Protection Act
The National Police Association has endorsed the ICE Protection Act of 2026. The endorsement follows reports from the Department of Homeland Security about an alarming number of incidents where protestors have allegedly used vehicles as weapons against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The specifics of the proposed legislation were not detailed.
The ICE Protection Act of 2026, introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), would amend federal law to institute harsher penalties for assaulting federal officers with a motor vehicle. The bill proposes mandatory minimum sentences of five years for causing bodily injury, seven for substantial bodily injury, and 10 years for serious bodily injury. The legislation follows a Department of Homeland Security report claiming a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against ICE officers over the past year. Between January 2025 and January 2026, the DHS recorded 68 vehicle attacks on ICE personnel, compared to just two during the same period a year prior. This reported surge in vehicle incidents is part of a broader trend cited by the DHS, which also noted a 1,347% increase in general assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE officers during the first year of the second Trump administration. The agency has blamed the rise in violence on what it calls "radical rhetoric" from "sanctuary politicians." Protests against ICE's tactics and the administration's mass deportation policies have been a frequent occurrence across the United States since January 2025. Demonstrations, including student-led walkouts, have taken place in states from California to New York, sometimes leading to confrontations and arrests. However, some claims of vehicular assaults have been met with skepticism. In a 2025 case, a federal judge found DHS claims of agents' cars being rammed in Chicago "difficult, if not impossible, to believe" after reviewing evidence that included body camera footage. The Senate bill (S. 3675) is co-sponsored by Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, James Lankford, Cynthia Lummis, Markwayne Mullin, and Steve Daines. It has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for deliberation. The National Police Association frequently endorses pro-police legislation. In February 2026 alone, the organization also announced its support for the "COPS Anti-Organized Crime and Cartel Enforcement Act" and the "Lawless Cities Accountability Act."
