Ten individuals attacked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers in Texas on July 4th. While several perpetrators set off fireworks and vandalized ICE vehicles to draw agents outside, a gunman positioned in the woods with a rifle fired between 20 and 30 rounds, striking a local police officer in the neck. The Guardian reports:
“It was a planned ambush with the intent to kill Ice correction officers,” said Nancy Larson, US attorney for the northern district of Texas, at a press conference on Monday. “Make no mistake, this was not a so-called peaceful protest – it was indeed an ambush.”
Then on Monday, a man in McAllen, Texas fired dozens of rounds at a border patrol facility in Texas, injuring a police officer before authorities shot and killed him.
Fox News reports that, during the search of vehicles connected with the individuals accused of the July 4th attack, law enforcement found flyers stating, “FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!” and “FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS,” and a flag reading “RESIST FASCISM — FIGHT OLIGARCHY.”
Considering the $160 BILLION allocated to ICE in the president’s spending bill, I fear that ICE will become the backbone of an American Police State under the current administration. There is reason to be angry about ICE tactics, but violence against ICE agents is morally wrong, and it undermines the goals of peaceful resistance.
During the French Resistance to Nazi occupation, when resistance fighters assassinated Nazi figures, the violence was nearly always met with a disproportional retaliation—very often the execution of dozens of imprisoned resistance figures. Violence begets violence.
Moreover, the use of violence by just a handful of individuals risks delegitimizing proper and reasonable criticism of ICE. Now, when people gather to protest ICE actions peacefully, authorities have more reason to fear the protests could turn violent, thanks to the violence perpetrated by the individuals in these Texas attacks. If ICE believes its agents will be targets of ongoing attacks, I fear ICE tactics will only become more brutal and draconian.
Peaceful dissidents should firmly denounce acts of violence against ICE officers. Let people know that there is a difference between those who thoughtfully and rationally stand against authoritarianism and others that rightwing firebrands may decry as “Antifa terrorists.”
Just Monday, I wrote about Peaceful Resistance to Political Violence—before I encountered these stories out of Texas. I wrote that “Violence only plays into the hands of the perpetrator.” You can bet that Steven Miller and Kristi Noem see these attacks as an opportunity to justify their inhumane immigration enforcement policies.
Liking, sharing, or commenting on this post IS an act of resistance. Corridor Rabbit is meant to serve as a casual guide for how to start and grow an informal resistance group. It is not authoritative; it is a live journal documenting our efforts. It is a call to action. It's an invitation to connect and share what you are doing to resist authoritarianism. Read more about the goals of Corridor Rabbit. We design our illustrations with the help of AI.