“Enough is enough. The Department of Justice will stand strong when federal law enforcement officers are attacked or threatened for doing their sworn duty on behalf of the United States government.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a sweeping directive Monday aimed at ending what the Department of Justice describes as a surge in political violence against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The memo, sent to the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Executive Office of US Attorneys, orders federal and local law enforcement to defend ICE facilities, arrest violent agitators, and dismantle the networks funding and coordinating the attacks.
According to the memorandum, attacks on ICE officers have increased by more than 1,000 percent since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year. Recent incidents in Portland, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Chicago illustrate what the DOJ characterizes as “sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence.”
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View on XIn Dallas, a sniper opened fire on an ICE field office from a nearby rooftop, killing one person and critically injuring two others. In Chicago, while Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly denounced ICE agents, more than 200 rioters blocked the gates of an ICE processing facility, chanting, “Arrest ICE, Shoot ICE” and attempted to storm federal property. Authorities recovered fireworks, tactical gear, and at least one firearm from arrested rioters.
In Portland, federal officials say mobs have repeatedly attacked and laid siege to ICE processing centers, mirroring similar violent riots in 2020. Rioters reportedly arrived equipped with N95 masks, gas masks, goggles, protective padding, and stockpiles of food and water, suggesting coordinated planning and funding.
Bondi’s memo lays out a multi-agency response, including the immediate deployment of Federal law enforcement, including ATF, DEA, FBI, and USMS, to defend ICE facilities and personnel in hotspots like Portland and Chicago.
Additionally, state and local police will be integrated into a temporary ICE Protection Task Force, working alongside DOJ components.
US Attorneys in Oregon and Illinois were also instructed to charge rioters with the highest provable offenses. The DOJ will also pursue not only those committing violent acts but also individuals and organizations aiding, abetting, or conspiring through funding, coordination, or planning.
According to the memo, the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs and COPS Office will provide grants, training, and equipment (including body-worn cameras) to agencies protecting ICE.
“Enough is enough. The Department of Justice will stand strong when federal law enforcement officers are attacked or threatened for doing their sworn duty on behalf of the United States government,” Bondi wrote. “We will take back our country and make America safe again.”
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